• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.119-141
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to investigate Pre-service early childhood teachers' perceptions and roles regarding young children's free play time. Methods: The study utilized the photovoice method and involved 21 pre-service early childhood teachers who expressed interest in participating. Participants were enrolled in an infants teaching methodology class in B city. The study involved four virtual meetings conducted via untact teams, and the automatic recordings of these meetings were transcribed for analysis. Results: The results revealed that pre-service early childhood teachers recognized young children's free play time as a period to enjoy full freedom, develop as the main agent of their lives, and express their imagination. Furthermore, pre-service early childhood teachers perceived their roles during young children's free play time as a specialist infant observer, a connector between play and learning, and a versatile supporter. Conclusion/Implications: The findings suggest the need for a systematic curriculum to provide pre-service early childhood teachers with a balanced perspective and awareness of the meaning of free play and teacher roles. The study highlights the importance of expanding pre-practice courses for observation of play and field-oriented curriculum for incumbent teachers.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.205-218
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore and analyze the way pre-service early childhood teachers think about teacher happiness through metaphor analysis. Methods: A total of 225 pre-service teachers were selected from 4-year universities in the Gyeongnam area and open questionnaires were distributed to the participants. A total of 207 out of the 225 questionnaires were selected for the study. Results: First, based on psychological well-being, positive interpersonal relationship, self-acceptance, autonomy, environmental control, and life purpose were derived. Pre-service early childhood teachers typified teacher happiness into five types: positive interpersonal relationships, self-acceptance, autonomy, environmental control, and life purpose. Second, pre-service early childhood teachers perceived teacher happiness as positive. Third, pre-service early childhood teachers perceived interpersonal relationships, self-acceptance, and purpose of life as positive, while environmental control and autonomy were perceived as negative. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to improve the quality of teachers' education and to develop a program to raise positive awareness of future early childhood teachers. These study results can also be used as basic data for high quality teacher education.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.454-462
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• 2018

This study examines the influence of pre-service early childhood teacher's empathy and interpersonal competence on teacher efficacy. The subjects of this study include 358 pre-service early childhood teachers. The instruments used in this study were the emotional empathy scale, interpersonal competence questionnaire (ICQ) and the teacher efficacy scale. Collected data was analyzed using the SPSS program. In order to determine the general background of the pre-service teachers, the frequency and percentages were used. For examination of empathetic ability, interpersonal competence and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers, a descriptive statistics analysis was conducted. In addition, in order to assess the relationship among empathetic ability, interpersonal competence and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers, Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted. Lastly, for the examination of the effects and relative explanation of empathetic ability, interpersonal competence and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers, multiple regression analysis was conducted. The results of this study were as follows: first, pre-service early childhood teachers were shown to have higher empathetic ability, interpersonal relationships and teacher efficacy rates than average. Second, there was a positive correlation among empathetic ability, interpersonal competence and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers. Third, teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers was influenced by their empathetic ability and interpersonal competence. The results of this study suggest that teacher efficacy improvement programs for pre-service early childhood teachers should consider their empathetic ability. Also, study results emphasize the necessity of empathetic ability and interpersonal relationship improvement program for pre-service early childhood teachers.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.332-340
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• 2019

This study examines the influence of pre-service early childhood teacher's social support and adaptability to college life on teacher's efficacy. The study subjects were 394 pre-service early childhood teachers. The instruments were Social Support Scale, Adaptability to College Life Scale and Teacher Efficacy Scale. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS program. Frequency and percentage were used to determine the general background of the pre-service teachers. To examine social support, adaptability to college life and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers, descriptive statistics analysis was conducted. To assess the relationship among social support, adaptability to college life and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers, Pearson's correlation analysis was carried out. To examine the effects and relative explanation of esocial support, adaptability to college life and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers, multiple regression analysis was conducted. From the study results, first, pre-service early childhood teachers had higher social support, adaptability to college life and teacher efficacy rates than average. Second, there was a positive correlation among social support, adaptability to college life and teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers. Third, teacher efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers was influenced by their social support, and adaptability to college life. The study results suggest that a teacher efficacy improvement program for pre-service early childhood teachers should be provided for ensuring their social support. The study results also emphasize the necessity of social support and adaptability to college life improvement program for pre-service early childhood teachers.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.93-109
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide basic data in order to increase the flourish of early childhood pre-service teachers by examining pre-service teacher's basic psychological needs and characteristics on flourish. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 200 pre-service teachers majoring in early childhood education in Busan and the results were analyzed. Results: First, the level of basic psychological needs, characteristics and flourish of pre-service teachers was above average and there was a significant positive correlation between basic psychological needs, characteristics and flourish. Second, the characteristics of pre-service teachers were relatively more influential on flourish than basic psychological needs. Conclusion/Implications: The main variables predicting early childhood pre-service teacher's flourish are characteristics and basic psychological needs. And as characteristics and basic psychological needs of pre-service teachers are promoted, the flourish of pre-service teachers is increased.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.105-126
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• 2020

Objective: This study aimed to reveal pre-service early childhood teachers' perception of children's environmental education using concept mapping and demonstrating its importance. Methods: Based on Kane and Trochim's(2007) procedure, 33 pre-service early childhood teachers conducted brainstorming and statement writing, and then the importance of selected statements were rated by 202 pre-service early childhood teachers. Selected statements were analyzed through multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: Pre-service early childhood teachers perceived children's environmental education as concept mapping with 2-dimensions and eight clusters. The following eight clusters were established (1) daily practice through hands on experience, (2) nature environment, (3) recognizing and coping with environmental issues, (4) environmental preservation practices, (5) environmental sensitivity and consideration, (6) purpose of children's environmental education, (7) necessity for children's environmental education (8) Practice through connection with child's home and community. And then among the eight clusters, the most important was recognized as 'daily practice through hands on experience', and among the statements 'young children learn through the method of playing in nature and experience nature' was considered the most important. Conclusion/Implications: Based on these results, we discuss the importance of children's environmental education of pre-service early childhood teachers and how to support to develop teacher's training program.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.71-90
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• 2022

Objective: This study examined the experiences of pre-service Early Childhood teachers who participated in major-associated autonomous club activities. Methods: Participants were 31 students of the Department of Child Care at A University located in Gyeonggi-do, who participated in a major-associated autonomous music club activity. A content analysis was conducted to examine the meaning of the participation experience of pre-service Early Childhood teachers. Qualitative content analysis was the best method to analyze the meaning of their experience while participating in the activities. Results: The meaning of the experience of music club activities was organized into three categories: "enjoying abundant college life," "growing as a competent childcare teacher," and "being a responsible member of a community." Conclusion/Implications: The results show that pre-service Early Childhood teacher's participation in the activities of major-associated autonomous clubs has a positive impact on desirable changes in college life and adaptation to the department and on the growth of future professional Early Childhood teachers.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.519-533
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to follow up changes in knowledge related to the mathematics education field work of preliminary early childhood teachers. The subjects of this research were 28 students who were taking mathematics education courses in early childhood education departments at various universities. This research ran for 15 weeks and was conducted through field work relating to mathematics education. The study collected data from pre-service teachers' knowledge, the diagram of concept, writing journals, interviews, and materials from the internet. Through this procedure, pre-service teachers' knowledge for mathematics education could later be expanded, ordered, and integrated. In addition, pre-service teachers not only understood the importance of contents and levels of lesson plans, but also learned how to utilize educational media to make effective lessons. Furthermore, pre-service teachers realized that the mathematical concepts of students could be expanded depending on the contents and methods of pre-service teachers' lesson plans and students could then apply these concepts into daily situations.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.113-131
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• 2012

This study examined the effects of psychological attributes influencing the happiness of early childhood pre-service teachers. The psychological attributes included positive states(self-efficacy, satisfaction), negative states(depression), and goals for the future(professional goal as a teacher). The objects were 269 early childhood pre-service teachers who were studying in college and university to become early childhood teachers. The results were as follows: First, there were not clear differences in terms of goal content(self, others), whereas there were clear differences in terms of school satisfaction and major interest of childhood pre-service teachers. Second, self-efficacy was positively correlated with happiness and depression was negatively correlated with the happiness of early childhood pre-service teachers. Third, self-efficacy and depression were predicting variables for the happiness of early childhood pre-service teachers. More specifically, depression was the most influential variable when it comes to determining the level of happiness. Thus, implications for improving the happiness of early childhood pre-service teachers were presented.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.131-140
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• 2023

This study aims to investigate the impact of pre-service early childhood teachers' civic awareness and multicultural beliefs on their ability to teach democratic citizenship education and to verify the mediating effect of multicultural beliefs in the relationship between civic awareness and the ability to teach democratic citizenship education. The subjects of the study were 226 pre-service early childhood teachers, and a survey was conducted. As a result of the study, first, the civic awareness of pre-service early childhood teachers influenced the ability to teach democratic citizenship education, and the influence of the sub-variables of civic awareness was in the order of rights awareness, responsibility, community awareness, and rational decision-making awareness. Second, the multicultural beliefs of pre-service early childhood teachers also affected the ability to teach democratic citizenship education, and multicultural understanding had the strongest influence among the sub-variables of multicultural beliefs. Thirdly, we found that multicultural beliefs partially mediated the relationship between civic awareness and the ability to teach democratic citizenship education. Additionally, the results highlight the importance of educational interventions targeting multicultural beliefs, as they partially mediate the relationship between civic awareness and the ability to teach democratic citizenship education.