Empirical Research on the Development of a Fahp-Based Evaluation System and Assessment Tool for Children's Time Management Skills

Abstract

Existing time management assessment systems or tools mainly rely on self-report questionnaires, which lack objectivity and fail to fully capture children’s actual behaviours and developmental levels in everyday contexts. To address the absence of a scientific, task-based evaluation framework for children in the preschool-to-primary transition stage, this study constructs a three-tier indicator system for time management ability using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and determines the corresponding weights of each indicator. Based on field observations and interviews, children’s time-related behaviours in learning and daily routines were investigated to identify high-frequency tasks and refine assessment criteria. Consequently, a practical evaluation tool titled “My Schedule” was developed, integrating perception, planning, and regulation tasks to measure children’s time management competence. Experimental validation demonstrated that the tool possesses good reliability and validity, and effectively differentiates children’s performance across various age and ability levels. The results confirm that this FAHP-based system can objectively assess children’s abilities in time perception, task planning, and self-regulation. The study not only enriches the methodological framework for time management assessment but also provides valuable guidance for teachers and parents in cultivating children’s executive functions and self-management skills during early education.