• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.357-367
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• 2009

This research examined the psychological characteristics of children, such as children's attachment to their mothers, self-concept, daily stress, and depression, in both multicultural and typical Korean families. Elementary school children in 3rd to 6th grade were surveyed in Chunnam province. 158 cases of multicultural families and 181 cases of typical Korean families were analyzed by the methods of Cronbach's a coefficient and independent t-test using SPSS program. Children from multicultural families had less attachment to their mothers and self respect than those from typical Korean families. Regarding daily stress, children from multicultural families highly recognize the economic and physical environments, whereas children from typical Korean families highly recognize the academic achievements and the relationships with their teachers. Children from multicultural families were highly prone to depression compared to the children from typical Korean families.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.107-117
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the general characteristics and the variety of family life experiences related to the life satisfaction of multicultural families with school-aged children. Data were drawn from the first wave of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey conducted in 2010 and developed by the National Youth Policy Institute. Further, the sample for this study consisted of 95 multicultural families who met the requirements. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the t -test, analysis of variance, and multiple regression using SPSS ver. 18.0. The main results showed that family life experiences that were made up of 5 domains, specifically time, leisure, household economy, health, and child education had a broad range of levels. In addition, family life experiences differed according to the general characteristics of multicultural families with school-aged children, such as mother's employment status, number of children, father's employment status and education level, and family composition. Lastly, their life satisfaction was significantly predicted by the father's employment status and health, children's age, children's education, and leisure in the order of significance. These findings suggested the need to expand the social intervention range for multicultural families with school-aged children, particularly in terms of family leisure and children's school life adaptation.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2011

This study explored the factors that influence school life adjustment of children in multicultural families. The subjects were 177 elementary school children of multicultural families from 1st to 6th grade in DC area. The major findings were as follows. 1) The interests in school and the whole-school adjustment were statistically different according to gender of children in multicultural families, family types 2) There were positive correlations among multicultural adjustment, social supports, and school life adjustment. 3) Of all variables, teachers' supports had the greatest influence on the interests in school and the whole-school adjustment, but friends' supports had the greatest influence on compliance of school rules. This study suggests that various efforts from multi levels, such as schools, teachers, and peer groups, for school life adjustment of children in multicultural families.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.7-31
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• 2013

School adjustment has been a popular topic among scholars in multicultural family studies, and they commonly report poor adjustment of children from multicultural families. However, without subjects for comparison, these findings may be considered premature. This study investigated school adjustment of children from multicultural families by comparing their adjustment level to that of children from families with Korean parents. By using the matching procedure, this study examined whether children's multicultural family background attributes to their school adjustment with children's observable characteristics paired and matched. For the analyses, the first and fourth wave of Korean Children and Youth Panel Study data were used. When the school adjustment level was examined before the matching procedure, the school adjustment level was indeed lower among children of multicultural families, and their family status was a significant predictor of school adjustment. However, when two groups were paired and matched using matching, the family background had no significant effect, indicating that school adjustment is not predicted by their multicultural family status. Implications for research and practice are also discussed in the paper.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.47-64
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• 2014

This study was conducted with the aim of examining the acculturation process of children and parents from multicultural families, which can affect the self-esteem of the children concerned. The participants from each family consisted of the fathers, mothers, and school-age children of 179 households. The results of this study reveal the following: (1) First, the multicultural children scored higher than the average in self-esteem in most areas except school life. Furthermore, the children and parents had a comparatively positive attitude toward acculturation (2) Second, the children's level of self-esteem had significant correlations only with the acculturation of mothers as opposed to fathers. (3) Third, the impacts of acculturation of the children and their parents on the children's self-esteem followed different patterns according to the sub-areas of self-esteem. Specifically, the self-esteem for overall self-value and family relations rose when the multicultural acceptance attitude of mothers was high. However, area of peer relations was affected only by the acculturation of children. The area concerning school life was high when the mother-culture propagation attitude of mothers was low.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.27-37
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• 2012

This study determines the factors that contribute to the sense of self-identity for children from multicultural and rural families and provides a systematic understanding of individual self-identity. It also provides implications on how parents, teachers, and professionals can approach their role when instructing and rearing children of different sociocultural backgrounds. The subjects consist of the 310 children from multicultural families (Korean fathers and immigrant mothers) residing in South Korea and 280 children from rural families with similar conditions to those in multicultural families in North Jeolla Province South Korea. The sense of self-identity and maternal parenting behavior were perceived differently by children of multicultural and rural families, whose sense of self-identity was affected by school satisfaction and maternal parenting behavior.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

This study developed and evaluated a Seoul National University literacy program for multicultural family children (SNU-LPMFC). The program was developed to enhance Korean language ability for children from multicultural backgrounds. The characteristics of this program were education using fairy tales and nursery rhymes, individual education from home visiting teacher, and parent participation education for effective children's learning support. The effectiveness of this program was examined based on 54 young children and their mothers (34 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group). To examine the effect of SNU-LPMFC, we assessed children's literacy ability as pre-tests and post-tests as well as interviewed the home visiting teachers. After 8 weeks' field application, the experimental group exhibited higher scores than the control group in total language ability and phonology. Home visiting teachers highly praised the effectiveness of the program as the children showed a higher level of interest and attention. SNU-LPMFC was shown to be an effective program to improve multicultural family children's literacy. Implications for research and practice were discussed along with the main results of this study. This study extends the limitations of existing language education programs with uniform teaching methods, configured a customized education approach for children from multicultural families and helps develop concrete teaching material that validated its effectiveness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.491-501
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• 2015

This study examined the satisfaction level and effects of after-school program cooking activities in children of multicultural families. A total of 135 children of general and multicultural families from 3th to 6th grades and their 11 teachers were surveyed, and 75 multicultural family children underwent a cooking activity program. Children of multicultural families showed higher participation in cooking activities than other Korean children. Children of multicultural families wanted to be involved in cooking activity programs after school more than other Korean children. These children also showed a higher rate of wanting to cook Korean foods compared to children of general families. Regarding reasons for participating in cooking activities, 'I think I'm glad to be served delicious food' response was the most common. Children of multicultural families showed higher participation in cooking activities than children of general families. Regarding school life changes, children of multicultural families were found to be less picky of foods in general as well as kimchi and vegetables. In conclusion, cooking activity programs for children of multicultural family showed beneficial effects on diet and understanding of Korean culture.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1-18
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to develop and verify the effectiveness of a group art therapy program to help children from multicultural families adapt to school life by using Kinetic School Drawing(KSD). The result of this study showed that the group art therapy program of the multicultural family's children may have a positive effect in aiding their school life adaptation. The results showed considerable and statistical outcome in the fore and after drawing inspection of the dynamic KSD. Also, the size of the self-image became bigger and their expressions has been increased. The qualitative analysis also showed a huge change in dynamistic personal relationships due to the relationship with their peers with the same aged and the tutor. This study emphasizes the importance of the group art therapy program to be applied before children are admitted to school because of growing recognition of concern about the maladjustment of rapidly growing multicultural family's children. It is also suggests that the group art therapy program of growing multicultural family's children should be viewed with an ecological point of view.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.156-166
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to synthesize related studies and identify the predictors of school adjustment among multicultural children. Methods: The author searched Google Scholar, RISS, KISS, Naver Academic, NDSL, and the National Assembly Library databases from August 1 to August 8, 2016. Keywords included multicultural, adolescents, school life, and school adjustment. Results: Twenty two studies, from 3,645 screened references, were included and finally analyzed. All studies were prospective studies and used regression analysis. The predictors of school adjustment among multicultural children were children's personal factors and social factors. Children's personal factors consisted of general factors, psychosocial factors, and situational factors. Social factors consisted of parental factors, family factors, teacher factors, and peer factors. Conclusion: The findings suggest that consideration of social factors as well as personal factors of multicultural children, their family, teacher, and peers is needed to improve school adjustment of multicultural children.