“How can I help you learn?” Incorporating emotions into parents' support of young children's self-regulated learning at home and school during prolonged crisis

Background Parents apply their knowledge of cognition, emotion, and behavior (metacognition, metaemotion, and metabehavior) to provide children external regulation to achieve learning goals. Aims Two studies examined how parents' metaprocesses shape children's self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies through external regulation (other-regulation and co-regulation) in distance and in-school learning. Study 1 Method Mothers ( N = 357) were surveyed regarding their own and their 1st–3rd graders’ SRL in three cohorts: Cohort 1 (in-school learning; pre-COVID-19); Cohort 2 (distance learning; COVID-19 first lockdown); and Cohort 3 (in-school learning; post-lockdown). Results Mediation coefficients were estimated for parent metaprocesses associated with their children's SRL, mediated through external regulation. In distance learning, parental metaemotion, metabehavior, and co-regulation were positively associated with their children's SRL. Co-regulation was positively associated with emotion SRL-reappraisal for Cohort 2 and Cohort 3. Study 2 Method Parents ( n = 311; 49% fathers) were surveyed while their 1st-3rd grade children were in distance learning (Time 1: COVID-19 third lockdown) and in routine in-school learning (Time 2) in a repeated-measures design. Their children ( n = 143) reported on social, math, and language abilities at Time 2. Results Cross-lagged models investigated Time 1 and Time 2 associations within- and across-time effects using complex mediation models. Metaprocesses were linked to SRL, math, and language skills through other-regulation, whereas metaprocesses were associated with SRL strategies and social skills through co-regulation. Conclusion Parent metaprocesses were positively associated with prompts guiding their children's SRL strategies and learning outcomes. Findings highlight links between metaprocesses and child emotion SRL-reappraisal through co-regulation.