• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.213-225
• /
• 2018

Objective: Research on children's death concepts requires an approach considering social and cultural context. A qualitative method is necessary to explore children's cognitive process of understanding death. Thus, this study, to overcome the limitations of the quantitative approach based on the deductive logic led by adult researchers, adopted a qualitative research method. Methods: The data collection, referring to the theories of Corr and Balk (2010) and Smilansky (1987), used Death Concept Questionnaire. Each structured question was followed by open follow-up questions to explore how children understood each concept of death. Results: The results showed that participant children were still lacking in the acquisition of death sub-concepts. The qualitative result from open interview showed how children can and can not acquire the concepts of death. Conclusion/Implications: The study could be used in future development of death education programs for children. Based on the results of this research, it is necessary to develop programs for children's death education, which would help them coping with death related anxiety and loss experiences.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.159-173
• /
• 2018

Objective: The main purpose of this study was examine the relationships among goodness of fit between mother and child, child's self-esteem and quality of home environment. Also, the moderating effects of quality of home environment among preschoolers were investigated in the relation of interest in this study. Methods: The study subjects were 195 children who attended preschools, located in Seoul. The preschoolers' self-esteem was tested by the trained researcher, and both of levels of goodness of fit between the mother-child and quality of home environment were rated by the mothers of this study. Results: The main results of this study found that levels of preschoolers' self-esteem were positively related to goodness of fit between the mother-child, and quality of home environment. Furthermore, the effects of goodness of fit between mother-child on preschoolers' cognitive, physical, and emotional self-esteem were moderated by the quality of home environment. Conclusion/Implications: Along with those findings, implications for research and practice were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.91-108
• /
• 2018

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the change of mother-child interaction and perceptions of parenting and play after participating in parent counseling education program which is combined physical contact play activities with client-centered counseling technique. Methods: The subjects were 6 mothers and their child who attended more than 7 out of 8 times in the program, which carried out totally 8 sessions, once a week for 90 minutes. Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) and semi-structured questionnaire about parenting and play were used to assess the change. Results: First, mothers' interaction with their child was become more nurturable and mutual engaged, and facilitated their child's challenge simultaneously providing structure. Second, child-directed interaction was increased rather than mother-directed, and the waiting time for their child's attempt became longer. Conclusion/Implications: The parent counseling education program changed the mother-child interaction more positively. This study has the implication in terms of combining play with education and counseling, but there is the limitation of generalization due to qualitative analysis based on limited cases.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.27-38
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of childcare teachers' teacher efficacy, psychological burnout and the practice of respecting rights for infants. Methods: For this study, questionnaires were distributed to 398 childcare teachers in the cities of I and S. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistic, multiple regression and Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ for reliability by SPSS-WIN computer program. Results: The results yielded some interesting results. First, childcare teachers were shown to have higher respecting rights for infants but just average teacher efficacy rates. Secondly, the study showed a positive correlation between the practice of respecting rights for infants and childcare teachers' teacher efficacy. However, there was a negative correlation between the practice of respecting rights for infants and psychological burnout. There was also a negative correlation between the practice of respecting rights for infants and childcare teachers' teacher efficacy. Third, the higher the childcare teachers' teacher efficacy of childcare teachers, the more positive influences existed in the practice of respecting rights for infants. It also showed that the lower the degree of psychological burnout, there was a negative impact on the practice of respecting rights for infants. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study suggest that a support plan is needed to boost childcare teachers' teacher efficacy, and to lower the psychological burnout of childcare teachers with regards to the practice of respecting rights for infants.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.175-185
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of teachers' demographic and sociological characteristics and the emotional support of the director and co-worker on the childcare efficacy of infant teachers. Methods: In this study, 169 Infant teachers of childcare centers have participated, where are located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Areas. The data was analyzed by using t-test and one way ANOVA to confirm the differences among groups, and also correlations analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed to analyze the interrelationship between variables and their effects. Results: Study outcome according to study subjects is as follows. First, we found a statistically meaningful difference in marital status and career by the differences of childcare efficacy depending on demographic and sociological characteristics of infant teachers. Second, childcare efficacy of infant teachers showed the most evident correlationship with co-workers support followed by the director's support. Third, the data also revealed that childcare efficacy of infant teachers was influenced by co-workers' support, their careers, marital status and their directors' support in order. Conclusion/Implications: In conclusion, higher levels of childcare efficacy were shown by the experienced and married early childhood teachers and the emotional support of co-workers has the greatest influence on their childcare efficacy.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.51-63
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify the influence of educare teachers' self-encouragement and social support on their psychological burnout. Methods: This study was 329 educare teachers working in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The questionnaire for this study (self-encouragement scales, social support scales, and psychological burnout scales) was conducted and t-test, F-test, Turkey post test, Pearson Correlation analysis, simple regression analysis and multiple regression analysis was conducted by using the SPSS windows 18.0 program. Research results of analysis were as follows. Results: First, the difference of self-encouragement of educare teachers was remarkable according to age group and that of social support noticeable according to age group and career while that of psychological burnout was noticeable according to age group and marital status. Second, educare teachers' self-encouragement and social support has negative correlation with their psychological burnout. Third, educare teachers' self-encouragement and social support affect their psychological burnout in negative manner. In particular, self-encouragement functions, more than social support, as a main factor in reducing psychological burnout. Conclusion/Implications: These results can be utilized as basic data for developing education and counselling programs designed to provide emotional stability for educare teachers and help them give more positive child-care service.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.109-121
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is developing parents' character competency reinforcement program for the prevention of child abuse based on the critical competencies suggested by Character Education Promotion Act. Methods: For the development of the program, the literature review about child abuse prevention program in domestic and international research was conducted. Also, we conducted focus group interviews with kindergarten (n = 3) and elementary school (n = 4) teachers who experienced abusive parents for grasping their characteristics as a qualitative data collecting strategy. Results: As a result, parents' character competency reinforcement program for the prevention of child abuse was composed of a total of 7 activities; 'Understanding me and child', 'Anger management training for parent', 'Improving effective communication skill with child', 'Practicing two-way communication with child', 'Arts and Culture experience with child', 'Understanding my and child's feelings', 'We need a whole village to raise a child'. This program curriculum can be greatly four parents' character competency parts; self-management competency, communication competency, sensitivity competency, community competency. Conclusion/Implications: The program developed in this research can utilize the basic framework of the program to strengthen parent's toughness ability and it is crucial to develop customized toughness capacity increasing plan according to parent's characteristics It will be essential information.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.65-89
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the science concepts and teaching and learning methods presented in the science education-related activities of the Nuri Curriculum teacher guidebooks for ages 3-5. Methods: The research data included 772 activities related to science education in the teachers' guidebook. The analysis of science concepts was based on physical science (force and motion, physical structure, electricity and magnetism, light and shadow, sound properties), chemistry (material properties, material reaction), life science (organizational structure, growth and change, heredity and evolution, animal plant and human relationships), earth science (earth system interaction, earth system structure, and universe), engineering (designed world, engineering design, engineering, technology and society) and ecology (environment preservation). Teaching and learning methods were analyzed according to the types of small and large group activities and of free play activities. Results: Science concepts were mainly presented in the fields of engineering, chemistry, and life science commonly among children aged 3-5, whereas the concepts of physical science were lowly presented in all ages. Science concepts appeared mainly in the daily subjects of 'animal plant and nature', 'life tools', 'environment and life', and 'spring, summer, autumn and winter'. As the teaching and learning method, free paly activities (science area, free outdoor selection activity, math and manipulative activity) were mostly used for the ages of 3 and 4, and small and large group activities (cooking, story sharing, music activity) were for the age of 5. Conclusion/Implications: It is necessary to select the level of science area and concept that can be taught according to the age of children and the timing of the teaching.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.187-197
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between teacher's emotional intelligence, consciousness of professionalism, and strategies of problem behavior guidance of early childhood. Methods: The subjects in this study were 237 childcare center teachers in Seoul and Gyoungi Province in South Korea. Three different inventories were utilized. As for data analysis, the frequency analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and Multiple Regressions were conducted through SPSS 21.0 program. Results: The findings of the study were discussed as follows. First, emotional intelligence of teacher had the relationship with strategies of problem behavior guidance of early childhood. Second, consciousness of professionalism of teacher had the relationship with strategies of problem behavior guidance of early childhood. Conclusion/Implications: First, The findings showed that as teachers had the high level of ability in recognizing and expressing their emotion preciously, so the elements triggering the situation of problem were identified and captured, and the ability of use of preventive strategies in advance increased. Second, The findings showed that as teachers had the high level of ability in recognizing and expressing their emotion preciously, so the elements triggering the situation of problem were identified and captured, and the ability of use of preventive strategies in advance increased.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.99-113
• /
• 2019

Objective: This study is a case study on mother's perceived the adaptation process and program of a one-year-old toddlers in daycare center. Methods: This study is a case study of four mothers who live in Seoul, South Korea and whose first child enters in daycare center at 18 or 20 months. The data collection method was applied to group interview and the individual in-depth interview method. Results: After the interview data was analyzed, first, they decided to enroll their child to a daycare center after two mothers were pregnant with the second child or the others received a phone call for admission. The first impression of the teachers had a great influence on the choice of admission when mother first visited the daycare center. mother, as well as toddlers who exhibited anxiety, experienced an adaptation process. Through communication between mother and teacher, mothers could feel the toddler's adaptation. Second, as for the difference of the adaptation program according to the daycare center type through the adaptation process of the one-year-old toddlers, there was a big difference in the program guide, the period, the content and the proceeding method. Conclusion/Implications: Based on the results of this study, it is expected that it will be a basic data for the development of the adaptation program for one-year-old toddlers in daycare center at the national level.