Objective: This study examined developmental patterns of receptive and expressive language in 3-year-old children and investigated whether temperamental activity level, peer interaction, paternal parenting involvement, and the quality of the home environment, as measured by Early Childhood HOME, predicted latent language profiles. Methods: Data were obtained from the fourth wave of the Korea Child Panel Survey. A total of 1,575 children were included in the analysis. Results: Four latent profiles of language development were identified. Higher temperamental activity levels were associated with a lower likelihood of belonging to the balanced high or moderate groups compared with the low group, whereas greater peer interaction increased the probability of membership in the other three groups relative to the low group. Children with higher paternal parenting involvement and lower levels of language stimulation, as assessed by the Early Childhood HOME, were more likely to belong to the unbalanced high group than to the low group. In addition, higher home environmental responsiveness increased the likelihood of belonging to the balanced and unbalanced high groups compared with the low group. Differences among latent groups were also observed for control variables, including gender, age, and birth order. Conclusion/Implications: This study highlights the heterogeneity of early language development by identifying profiles characterized by unbalanced development, in which receptive language precedes expressive language. By classifying language development levels in young children and examining multiple influencing factors, these findings provide foundational evidence for the development of personalized language support strategies.

Objective: This study examines how childcare teachers' creative personality and teacher efficacy influence their play support competency, a key factor in promoting young children's holistic development through play. Methods: Participants were 250 childcare teachers working in daycare centers in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. Data were collected using validated scales measuring play support competency, creative personality, and teacher efficacy. Statistical analyses, including correlation analysis and mediation analysis using SPSS 26.0 and Process Macro(Model 4), were conducted. Results: Both creative personality and teacher efficacy had significant effects on play support competency. Creative personality also showed a significant positive effect on teacher efficacy. In addition, teacher efficacy partially mediated the relationship between creative personality and play support competency. Conclusion/Implications: These findings underscore the importance of strengthening both personal traits and professional beliefs among childcare teachers to enhance their ability to support children's play. The results suggest a need for targeted training programs and institutional support aimed at fostering teachers' creativity and self-efficacy, ultimately contributing to improved childcare quality.

Objective: This study examined domestic and international research trends in outdoor physical activity during early childhood to inform educational practices and policy development in South Korea Methods: A total of 167 peer-reviewed journal articles published between January 1996 and July 2025 were analyzed according to publication year, research topic, study subjects, and methodological approach. Results: Domestic research increased sharply after 2013 but showed a slight decline after 2019, whereas international research more than doubled after 2019. In both domestic and international contexts, the most frequently examined theme was effects and impacts. Domestic studies primarily focused on teaching methods, trend analyses, and play behaviors, while international studies emphasized facilities and environments, perceptions, and operational practices. Human participants-particularly children-were the most common study subjects, followed by teachers and parents. Quantitative research methods predominated in domestic studies, whereas qualitative(17.8% domestic; 30.9% international) and mixed-methods approaches(2.7% domestic; 9.6% international) were more prevalent internationally, reflecting a broader ecological perspective. Conclusion/Implications: These findings underscore the global significance of outdoor physical activity in early childhood education and highlight the need for South Korea to diversify research methodologies, adopt ecological frameworks, and strengthen policy-oriented research perspectives.

Objective: This study examined the effects of childcare teachers' burnout on organizational citizenship behavior, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of grit and occupational identity. Methods: A survey was conducted with 301 childcare teachers from childcare centers in D city. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and the PROCESS macro(Model 6) to test the dual mediating effects. Results: First, childcare teachers' burnout showed significant correlations with grit, professional identity, and organizational citizenship behavior. Second, burnout had a significant indirect effect on organizational citizenship behavior through grit. Third, burnout also exerted a significant indirect effect through occupational identity. Finally, burnout demonstrated a significant indirect effect on organizational citizenship behavior through the sequential mediation of grit and occupational identity. Conclusion/Implications: The findings underscore the importance of regularly assessing burnout levels among childcare teachers and providing psychological support programs for those experiencing burnout. In addition, enhancing social recognition of the childcare profession and fostering a supportive social climate that values and respects childcare professionals may strengthen teachers' grit and occupational identity. Such environmental support can ultimately promote organizational citizenship behavior and help prevent declines in childcare quality associated with teacher burnout.

Objective: This study examines the determinants of intentions for subsequent childbirth-specifically, the decision to have a second child-moving beyond short-term fertility promotion to explore long-term strategies for achieving replacement-level fertility. Methods: Using first-wave data from the Korean Early Childhood Education and Care Panel(2024), the analysis focused on 2,548 first-time mothers selected through stratified cluster sampling. Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression were conducted. Results: First, although the ideal number of children was most commonly reported as two, a substantial majority of respondents(65.8%) expressed no intention to have an additional child. Among those considering subsequent childbirth, most planned to have only one more child(85.3%) and preferred to do so within one to two years (34.9%). Physical burden was identified as the primary reason for not pursuing further childbirth, and respondents themselves were the main decision-makers. Second, regression analyses indicated that maternal age, marital conflict, parenting stress, and child-value orientation were significant predictors of intentions for subsequent childbirth. Higher maternal age, greater marital conflict, and elevated parenting stress were negatively associated with the likelihood of planning additional childbirth, whereas stronger child-value orientation was positively associated. Conclusion/Implications: Grounded in ecological theory, this study highlights the importance of activating multilevel systemic supports to encourage subsequent childbirth.

Objective: This study examined the effect of interpersonal stress on organizational commitment among Chinese early childhood teachers, with a particular focus on the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating role of directors' transformational leadership. Methods: A total of 550 kindergarten teachers from 30 kindergartens in Jiangsu Province, China, participated in the survey. Validated and culturally adapted instruments were used to assess interpersonal stress, self-efficacy, organizational commitment, and transformational leadership. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and PROCESS Macro 3.0, employing frequency and descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation and moderation analyses. Results: Interpersonal stress was negatively associated with self-efficacy, organizational commitment, and transformational leadership, whereas self-efficacy was positively associated with both organizational commitment and transformational leadership. Self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between interpersonal stress and organizational commitment. In addition, transformational leadership moderated the effect of interpersonal stress on organizational commitment, but did not moderate the relationship between interpersonal stress and self-efficacy. Conclusion/Implications: Interpersonal stress undermines organizational commitment among early childhood teachers; however, this negative effect is buffered by higher levels of self-efficacy and transformational leadership. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening teachers' psychological resources and enhancing leadership quality to promote organizational commitment in early childhood education settings.

Objective: This study aimed to develop items and criterion scores for the Infant-Teacher Attachment Q-set to assess infants' attachment security with their teachers. The instrument was designed to capture observable attachment behaviors in childcare settings, and criterion scores were established. Methods: To generate Q-set items, open-ended surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with 86 childcare teachers, yielding 107 preliminary items. Eight experts refined these items into final items and established criterion scores through two expert workshops. The finalized Q-set was implemented as a web-based tool to assess attachment security in 196 infants. Results: Consisting of 54 items, the Infant-Teacher Attachment Q-set's criterion scores showed high test-retest reliability following two Q-sort evaluations. Item-level analyses indicated higher criterion scores for attachment security were associated with positive emotional sharing and physical contact, and lower criterion scores with fussiness. Concurrent validity analyses revealed significant correlations with childcare adaptation subdomains, except for negative behavior. Interrater agreement was statistically significant, and among older infants, attachment security was higher in children of employed mothers. Conclusion/Implications: This measure enables teachers to assess attachment security for individual infants and to understand attachment behaviors in childcare settings, providing foundational data for stronger teacher-infant relationships.

Objective: This study examined the effects of pre-service childcare teachers' ego-resilience and self-leadership on their self-directed learning ability, with the aim of providing foundational data for curriculum development. Methods: Data were collected from 283 pre-service childcare teachers enrolled at two four-year universities in Busan. The data were analyzed using Cronbach's α, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression. Results: First, the levels of self-leadership, ego-resilience, and self-directed learning ability among pre-service childcare teachers were above average, with self-leadership showing the highest mean score. Second, singificant positive correlations were found among all variables and their respective subfactors. Third, hierarchical regression analysis revealed that self-leadership and ego-resilience sequentially influenced self-directed learning ability. Specifically, emotional regulation, behavioral strategies, goal orientation, and communication methods were identified as significant predictors. Notably, negative communication methods had a detrimental effect on self-directed learning ability. Conclusion/Implications: To promote the self-directed development of pre-service childcare teachers, curricula should be designed to integrally foster ego-resilience as a psychological foundation and self-leadership as an executive driver. In particular, given that emotional regulation and positive communicaton are key variables for self-directed learning, targeted emotional and behavioral support should be provided to reduce and replace negative communication patterns.

Objective: This study examined domestic research trends on postmodern picturebooks for young children and suggested directions for future research. Methods: A total of 89 studies published in Korean academic journals, as well as master's theses and doctoral dissertations, between 1999 and October 2025 were analyzed according to publication period, research participants, research methods, and research themes. Results: The findings showed that research activity peaked in the 2010s and declined in the 2020s. Diversification in research participants, methods, and themes was most evident during the 2010s and remained limited in the 2020s. Research participants were primarily young children-especially five-year-olds-and picturebook texts, whereas studies involving teachers and pre-service teachers were relatively scarce. Although qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches diversified over time, picturebook text analysis remained the predominant research method. Conclusion/Implications: In terms of research themes, more than half of the studies focused on postmodern narrative devices and content, followed by children's reading of postmodern picturebooks and developmental and educational effects. In contrast, studies addressing postmodern picturebook discourse, teachers' practices, and postmodern picturebook-based programs were limited. Based on these findings, this study suggests expanding research on domestic postmodern picturebooks and diverse media, broadening age groups in reading-process studies, and strengthening teacher education and practice-based research aligned with play-centered curricula.

Objective: This study examined the effects of paternal workplace family-friendly policies on young children's peer competence, focusing on the mediating roles of fathers' work-family conflict and involvement in child-rearing. Methods: The participants were 314 fathers of children aged 3-6 years attending daycare centers in Cheongju City. Data were collected through father-reported questionnaires assessing the perceived ease of using family-friendly workplace policies, work-family conflict, involvement in child-rearing, and young children's peer competence. The collected data were analyzed using model 6 of PROCESS macro. Results: Paternal workplace family-friendly policies influenced young children's peer competence through the sequential mediation of fathers' work-family conflict and involvement in child-rearing. In addition, these policies had an indirect effect on young children's peer competence through fathers' involvement in child-rearing alone. Conclusion/Implications: The findings indicate that the accessibility of family-friendly policies in fathers' workplaces contributes to positive developmental outcomes in early childhood, particularly peer competence. Expanding and promoting the effective use of such policies may enhance fathers' work-family balance and parenting involvement, thereby fostering a social environment that supports healthy child development.

Objective: This study examined the effects of participation in the Yeonje Parenting Dads Program on changes in fathers' parenting attitudes. Methods: The participants included 33 fathers who completed the Yeonje Parenting Dads Program, of whom 13 also participated in in-depth interviews. The program comprised parenting education, parent-child experiential activities, and online mission-based tasks. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests with the Parenting Attitudes Inventory, while qualitative data from post-program individual in-depth interviews were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Quantitative findings indicated a significant increase in supportive expressions and significant decrease in achievement pressure, punishment, and inconsistency, reflecting a shift toward more emotionally supportive and consistent parenting attitudes. Qualitative findings revealed that fathers transitioned from an authoritarian and directive parenting style to a relationship-centered approach that values children's emotions and opinions, and they redefined their roles as active co-parents. Conclusion/Implications: The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of a community-based fatherhood program in enhancing fathers' engagement and positive parenting attitudes. These results underscore the need for the continued development of father-focused parenting education programs and for policy support to expand and sustain such community-based interventions.

Objective: This study examined the impact of a structured physical activity program on anger expression and self-control in low-income children at community centers. Methods: Participants were 24 children from two regional centers in U City. In a pretest-posttest control group design, they were assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group completed 12 sessions of structured physical activity-including self-expression, cooperative play, and emotion recognition-while the control group received no intervention. Anger expression was assessed using Spielberger's Anger Expression Scale(AX), and self-control was measured using the self-control scale developed by Gottfredson and Hirschi. Date were analyzed using analysis of covariance(ANCOVA)with SPSS WIN 25.0. Results: Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed a significant reduction in anger expression(F=29.90, p<.001) and a significant improvement in self-control(F=27.47, p<.001). The reliability of the measurement instruments was high, with Cronbach's a ranging from .83 to .92. Conclusion/Implications: Structured physical activity effectively fosters psychosocial development by improving emotional regulation and cooperative behavior. This provides a basis for child welfare policies targeting vulnerable populations. Future research should utilize larger samples and mixed-method approaches to enhance generalizability.

Objective: This study aimed to examine fathers' perceptions of parenting strengths, the gaps between the perceived importance and performance of character strengths, and fathers' perceptions of and needs for strengths-based parenting education programs, with the goal of providing foundational data for program development. Methods: A survey was administered to 260 fathers of young children residing in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests, Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), and frequency analysis. Results: Fathers generally reported high levels of perceived parenting strengths and placed strong importance on utilizing character strengths in parenting. Across all character strengths, perceived importance was significantly higher than performance. IPA results identified self-regulation and love of learning as areas of high importance but relatively low performance. In addition, fathers expressed a strong need for strengths-based parenting education programs and preferred practice-oriented content focused on everyday parenting situations, delivered through workshop-style, short-to medium-term small-group formats. Conclusion/Implications: These findings provide foundational evidence to inform the key content areas and implementation strategies for developing strengths-based parenting education programs tailored to fathers of young children.