Objective: This study designed an Augmented Reality-based intervention program for children with conflicted shyness and examined its effects on social avoidance motivation and preference for being with others. Methods: Sixteen six-year-old children were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in a six-week AR-based program. Both teachers and children rated social avoidance motivation and preference for being with others to evaluate the program's effectiveness. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Social avoidance motivation decreased only for the experimental group. Conversely, the control group showed increased motivation scores as reported by the children. The preference for being with others increased in the experimental group based on teacher reports. For the control group, preference scores reported by teachers and children were maintained and decreased, respectively. Conclusion/Implications: This study highlights the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing social avoidance motivation and maintaining a preference for being with others in children experiencing conflicted shyness. Furthermore, the use of AR technology provided a psychologically safe environment for them to initiate social interactions without fear of negative evaluation, highlighting its potential as a primary intervention tool for this population.

Objective: This research aims to examine the effect of a young children's engineering-focused STEAM program based on the project approach - a program that constructs components aligned with children's interests in their play through an engineering design process - on their scientific inquiry ability, mathematical problem-solving ability, and creativity. Methods: In this research, 42 five-year-old children from a public kindergarten in S district, I city, were randomly divided into experimental and comparative groups, each with 21 children. The engineering-focused STEAM program was conducted from April 18 to June 10, 2022, with the experimental group exploring the 'car' theme and the comparison group focusing on a different theme. The study employed an independent sample t-test and analysis of covariance(ANCOVA), using the pretest as a covariate to control variables. Results: The children-selected 'cars' themed engineering-focused STEAM program was effective in enhancing their scientific inquiry ability, mathematical problem-solving ability and creativity. Conclusion/Implications: The engineering-focused STEAM program, which emerges from young children's interesting daily play, had positive effects on enhancing their scientific inquiry ability, mathematical problem-solving ability, and creativity. This research can serve as fundamental data for developing education programs focused on engineering within the STEAM framework, guided by children's emergent play.

Objective: This study examined the effects of cooking activities related to seasonal customs on the language expression ability and pro-social behaviors of young children. Methods: Participants consisted of thirty-four 5-year-old children who were attending S preschool in Jeollanamdo. Seventeen children belonged to the experimental group and seventeen children to the comparative group. The experimental group participated in cooking activities related to seasonal customs, and the comparative group in cooking activities according to life themes of Nuri curriculum. Results: The results of this study revealed a significant improvement in the language expression ability and pro-social behaviors of young children in the experimental group. That is to say, the scores of the language expression ability and pro-social behaviors of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the comparative group. Conclusion/Implications: This study carries significant implications for the early childhood field as it provides valuable insight into teaching-learning activities that effectively enhance the language expression ability and pro-social behaviors of young children.

Objective: This study aims to examine the impact of young children's playfulness and self-esteem on their creative personality. Methods: The sample consisted of 332 four- and five-year-old children enrolled in kindergartens and daycare centers in Incheon. Teacher-report measures of playfulness, self-esteem, and creative personality scales were used for data collection instruments. The collected data were analyzed using t-test, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Firstly, significant differences were found in all variables based on children's gender, while age and birth order did not show statistically significant differences. Secondly, young children's playfulness and self-esteem were found to have a positive impact on their creative personality. Specifically, among the sub-variables, cognitive spontaneity and humor in playfulness, along with competency in self-esteem, showed relatively higher levels of impact on young children's creative personality. Conclusion/Implications: The study findings emphasize the necessity of comprehensive support systems that foster playfulness and self-esteem to enhance young children's creative personality. This includes providing proper teacher training and a range of instructional materials, along with parental education.

Objective: This study examined the moderating effect of young children's temperament on the relationship between maternal anxiety and overprotection. Methods: A total of 250 mothers with 5-year-old children responded to online survey questionnaires, which included questions about maternal anxiety, overprotection, and their children's temperament. Results: The results of the study revealed several important findings. First, maternal anxiety had a positive correlation to the overall level of overprotection and all sub-factors. The correlation between young children's temperament and maternal overprotection had different results depending on the sub-factors of overprotection. Second, there was a significant moderating effect of young children's temperament on the relationship between maternal anxiety and overprotection. That is, When the reactivity of a child was low, the positive effect of maternal anxiety on maternal overprotection was greater. Looking at the sub-factors of overprotection, only reactive temperament showed a significant moderating effect in the relationship between maternal anxiety and intrusive overprotection. On the relationship between maternal anxiety and permissive overprotection, reactivity and adaptability had significant moderating effects. Conclusion/Implications: This study showed that mother's overprotection was associated with varying levels of their own anxiety and children's temperament. These findings offer basic knowledge for development of a program for improving parenting behaviors.