The Impact of Directors' Coaching Leadership on Teacher-Infant Interactions: Mediating Effect of Teachers' Psychological Well-being

In response to the increasing emphasis on childcare within public institutions, this study examines the impact of daycare center directors' coaching leadership on teacher-infant interactions, mediated by the psychological well-being of teachers. A survey was conducted with 251 childcare teachers from daycare centers located in the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. Data collection was conducted using a written survey or an online questionnaire after the researcher gave prior consent to the daycare center visit. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0. Analysis included factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, variance analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results indicate that daycare directors' coaching leadership significantly influences teachers' psychological well-being. Specifically, the goals and feedback from directors, along with their belief in teachers' growth potential, positively impact teachers' well-being. This well-being, in turn, affects teacher-infant interactions, with self-acceptance closely linked to these interactions. Additionally, directors' coaching leadership directly influences teacher-infant interactions and indirectly affects teachers' psychological well-being. These findings indicate that effective coaching leadership can enhance teachers' well-being and improve their interactions with infants. Therefore the study underscores the importance of directors' coaching leadership in daycare operations and provides foundational data for developing effective coaching strategies that benefit childcare settings. It suggests ways to improve teacher-infant interactions, ultimately enhancing childcare quality.