1158
Views
408
PDF Downloads
105
XML Views
Open Access
Character Quest: A Mixed-Methods Study of Role-Playing Games and Self-Regulation Skill in Kindergarten
Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose – This study investigates the impact of structured role-playing game (RPG) activities on the development of self-regulation skills among kindergarten children. In particular, it examines whether participation in a purpose-designed RPG module (Character Quest) enhances young learners' attention control, emotional regulation, and behavioral inhibition.
Design/methods/approach – A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitatively, 30 kindergarteners (aged 5–6) completed the Self-Regulation Rating Scale before and after an eight-week RPG intervention. Qualitatively, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participating teachers, and classroom observations and children's play journals were analyzed. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests and effect-size calculations; qualitative data underwent thematic coding and were integrated via a triangulation matrix.
Findings – Quantitative results showed a statistically significant increase in overall self-regulation scores (pre-test M = 2.48, SD = 0.37; post-test M = 3.10, SD = 0.29; t(29) = 8.23, p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.50). Qualitative themes revealed heightened engagement, the transfer of in-game strategies to classroom tasks, and positive teacher observations of improved impulse control and peer collaboration. Integration of both data strands suggests that RPG sessions provide a motivating context for practicing self-regulatory behaviors.
Research implications/limitations – While the mixed-methods approach offers robust insights, the small sample size and single-school setting limit generalizability. Future research should explore longitudinal effects across diverse cultural contexts and incorporate control-group comparisons to isolate RPG-specific effects.
Practical implications – Educators and curriculum designers may incorporate structured RPG modules as a playful, low-cost strategy to foster self-regulation in early childhood settings. Training teachers to facilitate game-based activities and to scaffold reflection on in-game decisions can maximize skill transfer to everyday classroom behaviors.
Originality/value – This study contributes to the growing field of game-based learning by applying a mixed-methods framework to evaluate a tabletop RPG intervention for self-regulation in kindergarten. While previous research has explored digital games and general play-based approaches, this study offers integrated quantitative and qualitative evidence on how structured narrative-driven RPGs can support self-regulatory development in early childhood classrooms.
Paper type Research paper
Keywords:
Downloads
Article Details
How to Cite
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process. It can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.
References
Alotaibi, M. S. (2024). Game-based learning in early childhood education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1307881
Arnott, L. (2018). Children’s negotiation tactics and socio-emotional self-regulation in child-led play experiences: The influence of the preschool pedagogic culture. Early Child Development and Care, 188(7), 951–965. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2018.1443919
Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2018). Tools of the Mind: A Vygotskian Early Childhood Curriculum. In Springer International Handbooks of Education (pp. 1095–1111). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0927-7_56
Brophy-Herb, H. E., Miller, A. L., Martoccio, T. L., Horodynski, M., Senehi, N., Contreras, D., Peterson, K., Dalimonte-Merckling, D., Favreau, Z., Sturza, J., Kaciroti, N., & Lumeng, J. C. (2019). Do child gender and temperament moderate associations between Head Start classroom social-emotional climate and children’s social-emotional competencies? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 47, 518–530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.07.001
Cano, L. G., & Murcia, S. N. (2023). Emotional Regulation in Pre-Service Education Teachers. Pensamiento Educativo, 60(3). https://doi.org/10.7764/PEL.60.3.2023.1
Cohen−Swerdlik. (2009). Psychology: Psychological Testing and Assessment an Introduction to Test and Measurement 7th Edition (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Creswell, W. J., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage.
Duncan, R. J., Schmitt, S. A., Burke, M., & McClelland, M. M. (2018). Combining a kindergarten readiness summer program with a self-regulation intervention improves school readiness. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 42, 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2017.10.012
Espigares-Gámez, M. J., Fernández-Oliveras, A., & Oliveras, M. L. (2020). Games as STEAM learning enhancers. Application of traditional Jamaican games in Early Childhood and Primary Intercultural Education. Acta Scientiae, 22(4), 28–50. https://doi.org/10.17648/ACTA.SCIENTIAE.6019
Fukkink, R. G., Sluiter, R. M. V., & Fekkes, M. (2024). Transition from childcare to school: Surgency, center-based care and caregiver-child relationship predict self-regulation, social competence and well-being. Learning and Individual Differences, 110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102409
Fyffe, L., & Lewis, A. (2024). Does Play-Based Learning Support Children’s Everyday Resiliency? A Cross-Case Analysis of Parents’ and Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions of Play-Based Learning as a Precedent to Young Children’s Coping During the Pandemic-Affected 2020–2021 School Year. Children, 11(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111378
Gallud, J. A., Carreño, M., Tesoriero, R., Sandoval, A., Lozano, M. D., Durán, I., Penichet, V. M. R., & Cosio, R. (2023). Technology-enhanced and game based learning for children with special needs: A systematic mapping study. Universal Access in the Information Society, 22(1), 227–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-021-00824-0
Gibbs, L., Linden, K., Teakel, S., & Dell, E. (2024). Initiatives supporting student retention in early childhood teacher education qualifications. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 49(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/18369391231220050
Girbés-Peco, S., Tellado, I., López de Aguileta, G., & de Botton Fernández, L. (2024). Promoting high-quality interactions among early childhood education minority students: A case study of dialogic literary gatherings. Literacy, 58(2), 228–239. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12354
Hautakangas, M., Kumpulainen, K., & Uusitalo, L. (2022). Children developing self-regulation skills in a Kids’ Skills intervention programme in Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care. Early Child Development and Care, 192(10), 1626–1642. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2021.1918125
Healey, D., Milne, B., & Healey, M. (2022). Adaption and implementation of the engage programme within the early childhood curriculum. Scientific Reports, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25655-8
Hibana, H., Rahman Nayla, M., & Nurhayati, K. (2024). Exploring the Role of Game-Based Learning in Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Perspectives from Teachers and Parents. Golden Age: Jurnal Ilmiah Tumbuh Kembang Anak Usia Dini, 9(4), 733–745. https://doi.org/10.14421/jga.2024.94-12
Housman, D. K., Cabral, H., Aniskovich, K., & Denham, S. A. (2023). The impact of begin to ECSEL on children’s self-regulation, executive functions and learning. Early Child Development and Care, 193(2), 159–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2022.2071869
Howard, S. J., Vasseleu, E., Batterham, M., & Neilsen-Hewett, C. (2020). Everyday Practices and Activities to Improve Pre-school Self-Regulation: Cluster RCT Evaluation of the PRSIST Program. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00137
Johnstone, A., Martin, A., Cordovil, R., Fjortoft, I., Iivonen, S., Jidovtseff, B., Lopes, F., Reilly, J. J., Thomson, H., Wells, V., & McCrorie, P. (2022). Nature-Based Early Childhood Education and Children’s Social, Emotional and Cognitive Development: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105967
Keown, L. J., Franke, N., & Triggs, C. M. (2020). An Evaluation of a Classroom-Based Intervention to Improve Executive Functions in 4-Year Old Children in New Zealand. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(5), 621–631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01023-x
Lin, J., & Chang, W.-R. (2025). Effectiveness of Serious Games as Digital Therapeutics for Enhancing the Abilities of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Systematic Literature Review. JMIR Serious Games, 13. https://doi.org/10.2196/60937
Liu, C., Wang, S., & Xie, H. (2025). Marital Adjustment and Preschoolers’ Academic and Behavioral Competence: The Role of Maternal Involvement. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 34(4), 990–1004. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-025-03048-5
Lorente, S., Arnal-Palacián, M., & Paredes-Velasco, M. (2024). Effectiveness of cooperative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning guided by software development in Spanish universities. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(4), 4467–4491. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00881-y
Martín-Del-pozo, M., & Martín-Sánchez, I. (2022). Self-Assessment and Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Regulated Learning in a School Organisation Course in Hybrid Learning. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2022(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.745
McClelland, M. M., & Cameron, C. E. (2012). Self-Regulation Early Childhood: Improving Conceptual Clarity and Developing Ecologically Valid Measures. Child Development Perspectives, 6(2), 136–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00191.x
McGowan, A. L., Chandler, M. C., & Gerde, H. K. (2024). Infusing Physical Activity into Early Childhood Classrooms: Guidance for Best Practices. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52(8), 2021–2038. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01532-5
Melo, C., Pianta, R. C., LoCasale-Crouch, J., Romo, F., & Ayala, M. C. (2024). The Role of Preschool Dosage and Quality in Children’s Self-Regulation Development. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01399-y
Pakulak, E., & Lipina, S. J. (2021). Neuroscientific approaches to optimize self-regulatory skills in children from backgrounds of poverty in different cultural contexts. In Quality Improvement in Early Childhood Education: International Perspectives on Enhancing Learning Outcomes (pp. 199–228). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73182-3_11
Pan, X. S., Li, C., & Watts, T. W. (2022). Associations Between Preschool Cognitive and Behavioral Skills and College Enrollment: Evidence From the Chicago School Readiness Project. Developmental Psychology, 59(3), 474–486. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001431
Richards, N., & Bain, A. (2024). Teaching Emotional Self-Regulation Skills to Young Children With Challenging Behavior. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2024.2402282
Rossini, V. (2021). «Follow a rule of life». Classroom management and positive discipline in an Apulian Children’s House. Ricerche Di Pedagogia e Didattica, 16(2 special issue), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.1970-2221/12187
Sciaraffa, M. A., Zeanah, P. D., & Zeanah, C. H. (2018). Understanding and Promoting Resilience in the Context of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(3), 343–353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0869-3
Stefaniak, J. E. (2018). Self-regulated learners: Strategies, performance, and individual differences. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85058739223&partnerID=40&md5=8fdd162cf1227f4eee527106116cf126
ten Braak, D., Størksen, I., Idsoe, T., & McClelland, M. (2019). Bidirectionality in self-regulation and academic skills in play-based early childhood education. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2019.101064
Ureña, N., Fernández, N., Cárdenas, D., Madinabeitia, I., & Alarcón, F. (2020). Acute effect of cognitive compromise during physical exercise on self-regulation in early childhood education. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249325
Ureña Ortín, N., Madinabeitia Cabrera, I., & Alarcón López, F. (2024). Effect of the ActivaMotricidad Program on Improvements in Executive Functions and Interpersonal Relationships in Early Childhood Education. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9040231
Vasseleu, E., Neilsen-Hewett, C., & Howard, S. J. (2024). An Early Start to Self-Regulation: Evaluating the Effects of an Early Childhood Self-Regulation Intervention on Educator Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practice. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2024.2396907
Veiga, G., Guerreiro, D., Marmeleira, J., Santos, G. D., & Pomar, C. (2023). OUT to IN: a body-oriented intervention program to promote preschoolers’ self-regulation and relationship skills in the outdoors. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195305
Veijalainen, J., Reunamo, J., Sajaniemi, N., & Suhonen, E. (2019). Children’s self-regulation and coping strategies in a frustrated context in early education. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v9i1.724
Vicente, J. J., Franco-Mariscal, A. J., & Oliva, J. M. (2024). Enhancing Argumentation and Decision-Making of Preservice Early Childhood Education Teachers Through Role-Playing on Animal Experimentation. Science and Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-024-00529-9
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society. Harvard University Press.
Wu, B., & Goff, W. (2023). Learning intentions: A missing link to intentional teaching? Towards an integrated pedagogical framework. Early Years, 43(2), 411–425. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2021.1965099
Yang, W., Luo, H., & Su, J. (2022). Towards inclusiveness and sustainability of robot programming in early childhood: Child engagement, learning outcomes and teacher perception. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(6), 1486–1510. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13266
Zauza, G., León, C. B. R., Roama-Alves, R. J., Seabra, A. G., & Dias, N. M. (2022). Promotion of Self-regulation in Preschool Children: Effects and Perceptions of Teachers. Trends in Psychology, 30(1), 73–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-021-00102-1
Zelazo, P. D., Forston, J. L., Masten, A. S., & Carlson, S. M. (2018). Mindfulness plus reflection training: Effects on executive function in early childhood. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(FEB). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00208
Zhang, C., Chen, P., & Chen, P. (2022). The impact of digital transformation on corporate sustainability- new evidence from Chinese listed companies. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1047418