• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.267-279
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• 2009

Child care in Korea has been officially institutionalized due to the legislation of the Child Care Act in 1991. Since then, the predominant social phenomena such as growing female workforce, more intensified female education, and the low birth rates have led the stronger demand for child care at the national level. Accordingly, the supply of child care services and the demand of families using the services have increased dramatically, producing enhancement of the quality of child care via improved and extended laws and regulations. Such movements have arisen academic interests and policy issues to specific sectors with details including child care policies, curriculum and professionals working with young children at child care centers, needs of children and their families attending child care centers, and program evaluations.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.561-582
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of pre-service curriculums for child care teachers at universities and colleges in Korea. To accomplish this, a survey was implemented to gather the lists of courses from each department training pre-service child care teachers. A total of 225 departments at universities and colleges across Korea participated in the survey. The results showed that the 37 different courses offered for child-care teacher licensure were different by school type (university or college) and major. Departments in colleges with specific majors such as early childhood education and social welfare offer courses that are also required for other certificates, including kindergarten teachers or social workers, so pre-service child care teachers may not have the opportunity to take courses specifically designed for their specific teaching needs or interests. Accordingly, there may be a restricted number of courses from which to choose during pre-service training periods. Based on the findings from this study, several political implications for improving child-care teacher professionalism were suggested.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.159-178
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics of dietary education in South Korea and Japan, and find directions for dietary education by comparing the contents of the two countries' dietary education in their national child-care curriculums and evaluations. Methods: To this end, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on the guidebooks for the Standard Child-care Curriculum and the Accreditation Index for Child-care Center in the case of South Korea, and the handbook for the Child-care Guideline and the Third Party Evaluation in the case of Japan. Results: The findings of this study were as follows: First, South Korea showed differences in the focus of child-care curriculums and evaluations. The contents about proper eating such as nutrition and table manners comprised a high portion of the curriculums, whereas the contents about cleanness and hygiene accounted for a high portion of the evaluations. In the case of Japan, its national child-care curriculums and evaluations consistently emphasized contents related to enjoying eating oneself, and suggested various methods for this. Second, in terms of the two countries' approaches to dietary education, South Korea focused on food-related knowledge, whereas Japan mainly created the contents of dietary education based on daily experiences. Conclusion/Implications: The above results suggest a direction to improve the currently publicized dietary guidance problem and a need for consistent the national child care curriculum and evaluation indicators in South Korea to emphasize the importance of joyful eating.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.101-126
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation experiences of the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 of early childhood education teachers and special education teachers at inclusive child care and education centers. Methods: Individual interviews with 14 teachers at seven inclusive settings in Seoul were conducted. The collected data were transcribed, and six categories and 42 sub-themes in early childhood education teachers and six categories and 37 sub-themes in special education teachers were derived through qualitative-comparative content analysis. Results: The teacher in-service education conducted prior to the implementation of the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 gave substantial aid in the applied practices of cases. The perceptions of teachers related to the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 were heightened. The inclusive settings had been changed according to the principles of play, case, and children's interest. As the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 progressed, children also changed. The implementation of the 「2019 revised Nuri program」 allowed the positive and the negative experiences to coexist at the inclusive settings. For the successful implementation of the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 , calls for the improvement of the child care and education center and national level must be stressed. Conclusion/Implications: Based on the results, discussions and recommendations were presented to solve the difficulties.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.147-164
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• 2014

This study aims at analyzing 6 OECD countries' (Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, England, South Korea) national early childhood care and education curriculum (framework) based on the perspectives of its implementation. Its design and development always focus on how the national early childhood education and care curriculum will be applied in the early childhood settings in a correct and faithful way. As a result, teachers are considered the user or deliverer of the national curriculum rather than the one who interprets it and construct their own curriculum in accordance with their students. Five OECD countries which have achieved an integrated system between early education and care systems, take the constructive view of designing and applying the national curriculum. Accordingly, a national early childhood education and care curriculum within an integrated system should be developed in Korea, in order to accept the constructive view of curriculum development and application.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.361-366
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• 2004

Purpose: This descriptive study was conducted to illuminate, from the nursing point of view, the infant care act, which was revised recently and to suggest a desirable direction of its enforcement decree and regulations. Method: This study was carried out through literature review and a collection of child care experts' opinions. Result: The most remarkable changes in infant care act and the suggestions for a desirable direction of its enforcement decree and regulations are as follows: It can be said that the law on 'health', 'nutrition' and 'safety' for a child care center was improved to the level of act from the level of enforcement regulation. In the enforcement regulation on the distribution of nurses in child care centers, it is desirable that nurse's aids are excluded. It is recommended that every child care center should have a nurse or a health care manager and/or an emergency caretaker. In the curriculum for child care, the subjects on child health care should be an essential subject, not elective. Conclusion: Child care act should be reformed under the discipline of first priority to child health. Every nurse and nursing professor should have interest and earnestness in child care and conduct related studies.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2013

Most preschool children in Korea attend kindergarten (KG) or a child care center (CCC). CCCs, which focus on caring for the child, belong to the ministry of health and welfare. On the other hand, KGs are responsible for education, and belong to the ministry of education, science and technology. In order to resolve the decline in population due to low birthrates, the government is expanding the free child care and education policies. CCCs and KGs are combined together to form the 'NURI curriculum' and supporting funds have been increased in both governmental departments. In addition, economic support is provided for homeschooling households. Because this is a nationwide policy and applies to every single household, thorough preparation regarding the effect and side effects must be made. This policy is currently being implemented, and as child and adolescent psychiatrists, great consideration should be given to the influence on the population. Therefore, the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry intends to investigate the effects and problems of the nationwide policy by analyzing the current condition of Korea's free child care and education and foreign policies. In the current paper, we reviewed the developmental process of Korea's free child care and education policy, as well as suggested future directions.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.233-251
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• 2007

This study explored the contents of practical knowledge about educational planning in early childhood curriculum as constructed by kindergarten teachers at early career stages and then developed a collaborative model of educational planning. Subjects were 6 teachers at early career stages. Using the ethnographic method, data were collected by in-depth interviews. Research outcomes were : (1) teachers specifically worked on 'difficulties in adapting to the teaching job', 'age of children that the teacher cares for', 'integration of theory and practice', and 'variety of actual teaching situations.' (2) A model for collaborative educational planning was constructed on the basis of review of the literature on teachers' knowledge, educational planning for early childhood curriculum, and learning of community.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.129-145
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• 2004

This study examined the effects of Literature-based Mathematical Activities using scaffolding (LMS) on the mathematical achievement, interest, and vocabulary of day care children. The experimental group of 15 boys and 15 girls was exposed to both literature and teacher's scaffolding while the comparison group of 14boys and 16 girls had traditional mathematics curriculum. The experiment was carried out for 8 weeks. ANCOVA and T-test were employed for a statistical analysis. The results revealed statistically significant differences in mathematical achievement, interest, and vocabulary between an experimental and control groups. We can conclude, therefore, that LMS is more effective in developing children's mathematical thinking abilities than a traditional mathematical curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.19-37
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effect of the national preschool curriculum on children's development in Korea, focusing on teachers' daily practice. By comparing the effect of the teachers' curriculum practice to that of quantitatively measured free play, it tried to add practical implications beyond the statistical significance. Methods: Participants were 512 three-year-old children who participated in the Panel Study of Korean Children and their teachers. National curriculum practice and free play time at the age of three was put in the hierarchical linear regression models to discover children's developmental outcomes at the age of four, in domains of language, cognitive development, and social development. Results: Results demonstrated the significant positive influence of national curriculum practice on every domain of developmental outcomes. However, no facilitative influence of free play time was observed. Conclusion/Implications: The importance of teachers' practice of the national curriculum was emphasized. It was implied that the quantity of free play time itself did not assure the sound development of children. Policy implications were discussed regarding teacher practice and education.