Self-control as a predictor of academic performance in primary school age

The aim of the study is to identify the nature and degree of relationship between the level of self-control development and academic performance in primary school students. The article examines the essence of self-control in the learning process, its structural components (motivational, orientational, operational-active, evaluative, corrective), and the dynamics of development from external, reproductive to internal, anticipatory. The study included a psychological and pedagogical experiment with primary school students based on the use of diagnostic methods aimed at identifying the level of self-control development, the development of voluntary regulation, the ability to listen attentively, to act independently according to the task and to accurately follow the instructions of an adult. Correlation analysis of the data showed a statistically significant positive correlation between the level of self-control development and the grade point average (r = 0.72, p ≤ 0.01), which implies that students with a higher level of self-control demonstrate higher academic results. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the substantiation of a direct correlation between the level of self-control development and indicators of academic performance. The research has established that purposeful and systematic development of self-control is recognized as a fundamental condition for ensuring stable academic performance of younger schoolchildren, forming their agency in learning activities and laying the foundation for further educational growth.