An Identification of Cognitive, Social-emotional and Behavioral Dimensions and Indicators Effective in Measuring Children's Academic Readiness When Entering Primary School

Although assessing school readiness in children prior to entering primary school is an important initiative of the Ministry of Education, one of its main challenges is the lack of a native theoretical model containing the dimensions and indicators of school readiness. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the dimensions and indicators influencing the assessment of school readiness in children prior to entering primary school. To achieve this goal, preschool textbooks and curriculum objectives, first-grade textbooks, a teacher's guide in descriptive evaluation, and the opinions of first-grade teachers were examined using a semi-structured interview method, employing a qualitative approach and thematic analysis. The thematic analysis resulted in the extraction of 5 overarching themes, 9 organizing themes, and 220 basic themes. The findings revealed that motor skills, language and speech skills, cognitive skills, socio-emotional skills, and general competencies are the constituent dimensions of school readiness. While previous studies have addressed overarching themes, considering the multidimensional nature of school readiness, it was necessary to determine the basic themes as well. In this study, the motor dimension was further divided into gross and fine motor skills; the cognitive dimension was divided into general knowledge, memory, mathematics, and visual-spatial reasoning; the socio-emotional dimension was divided into peer interaction and interaction with adults; and the general competency dimension was divided into responsibility and positive attitude towards school. The basic themes were categorized under the relevant sub-dimensions, providing a basis for the development of assessment tools for this important construct by educational authorities.