• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.65-91
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• 2017

Objective: This study aims to investigate early childhood teachers' perception of STEAM and suggest activation measures for STEAM according to teachers' background variables. Methods: The researchers conducted a pilot study, and then did survey research for 5 weeks. The participants of this study included 523 teachers of early childhood education institutions in Gwangju metropolitan city and Jeollanam-do Province. Results: The results of this study were as follows. First, early childhood teachers perceived the necessity of STEAM differently according to their age, experience, and academic background. The higher their age, experience, and academic background were, the more they wanted to participate in further teacher training and education. In particular, early childhood teachers' perception and activation measures were very different according to their workplace. These results come from the fact that the conditions in conducting STEAM are different according to their workplace. Conclusion/Implications: In order to activate STEAM, a teacher training program including practical contents and methods should be conducted. Also, it is necessary to carefully organize the content and structure of the teacher training program according to their workplace. This study is meaningful in terms of suggesting activation measures for STEAM by showing how early childhood teachers think about STEAM and what they demand.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study was to classify early childhood educators' perfectionism types and to identify differences in teacher self-efficacy and teachers burnout according to the types of perfectionism. Methods: The participants of this study were 309 teachers working at early childhood education centers in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Daejeon, Se-jong, Kim-Cheon, and Hong-Sung, South Korea. Early childhood educators were surveyed regarding perfectionism, teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout. The collected data were analyzed using K-means cluster analyses and analysis of covariance. Results: Cluster analyses with self-oriented perfectionism and other-oriented perfectionism as cluster variables resulted in three types of perfectionism among early childhood educators; 'self-other directed perfectionism(33.0%)', 'other directed perfectionism(35.0%)' and 'non perfectionism(32.0%)'. Educators with self-other directed perfectionism reported higher teacher self-efficacy and lower teacher burnout than educators with other directed perfectionism or with non perfectionism. Conclusion/Implications: Early childhood educators' perfectionism may be a significant personality trait linked to quality of education and care in real education settings.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.263-279
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• 2014

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the variation of songs by teachers in early childhood classrooms where songs play an important role in managing the daily activities for young children. Early childhood teachers have demonstrated a high degree of competency to transform and modify a variety of songs that fit into children's developmental levels. The use of such songs enable both teachers and young learners to fully enjoy such classroom activities and are an important means for establishing rapport. The data were collected from direct observation and video recording in three early childhood classrooms, as well as through interviews with the teachers, and through the researcher's journals. The results of the study revealed that the teachers exhibit a high degree of professionalism in creating variations of the kind of songs that children seem to enjoy, and thereby creating high levels of classroom enjoyment generally. This study also showed that using a good variety of songs in early childhood classroom can facilitate understanding of the content in the curriculum Finally, this study also suggests that the teachers' skills in designing variations of songs can make early childhood education classrooms culturally attractive and aesthetically more creative.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.125-144
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of early childhood teachers' music attitude and emotional leadership on their music teaching efficacy in the music education. Methods: 301 early childhood teachers answered the music attitude scale, music teaching efficacy belief instrument, emotional leadership scale, and questionnaire for socio-demographic characteristics and music experiences. Data were analyzed by t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's productive correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: First, early childhood teachers had a higher music teaching efficacy in case of at least 10 years of teaching experiences period, having a post-graduate degree, having a music training experience, enjoying learning musical instruments and singing and listening to music during regular music lessons, and having a long music training experience. Similar results were derived from the subfactors of music teaching efficacy. Second, there were positive correlations(r=.172-.659, p < .001) in the total and subfactors scores among early childhood teachers' music attitude, emotional leadership, and music teaching efficacy. Lastly, early childhood teachers' music attitude and their emotional leadership were explained at 39~52 percent for their music teaching efficacy. Conclusion/Implications: This study suggests that it is important for early childhood teachers' perception of their belief, knowledge and feeling about music education.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.10
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• pp.293-302
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• 2018

This study examined early childhood pre-service teachers' anger-expression, ego-resilience, and teaching efficacy; the relationship among those three variables; and lastly, found out the relative influence of 'anger-expression' and 'ego-resilience' on their 'teaching efficacy'. 312 pre-service teachers, majoring in early childhood education at universities, participated in this study, and data were collected by survey questionnaires using research instruments of each of those three variables. The finding of this study showed that the early childhood pre-service teachers, scored high on the anger-expression, were scored low on ego-resilience and teaching efficacy; and those pre-service teachers, scored high on the ego-resilience, were scored high on their teaching efficacy. It was also found that the sub-factors' in 'anger-expression' and 'ego-resilience' affected the early childhood pre-service teachers' teaching efficacy.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.145-157
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of early childhood teachers' professionalism in teaching and job satisfaction on their teaching efficacy. The relationship between professionalism in teaching, job satisfaction, and teaching efficacy of early childhood teachers was also investigated. Methods: The subjects of the study were 761 early childhood teachers. The survey included the teaching efficacy measurement, the professionalism measurement, and job satisfaction measurement. The collected data were analysed using descriptive data analyses, Pearson correlation analyses, and multiple regression analyses utilizing SPSS 22.0 program. Results: There were statistically significant positive correlations between early childhood teachers' professionalism in teaching, job satisfaction, and teaching efficacy. In addition, statistically significant effects of early childhood teachers' professionalism in teaching and job satisfaction on their teaching efficacy were found. Conclusion/Implications: The results implicate the importance of supports for early childhood teachers' development in professionalism in teaching and job satisfaction that would enhance their teaching efficacy, resulting in high quality education for young children.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2023

This study was conducted to verify the mediating effect of ego-resilience when early childhood teachers' autonomy affects teacher efficacy. The subjects of the study were 316 early childhood teachers in J degree. For data analysis, SPSS 25.0 was used to conduct Baron & Kenny's 3-step mediation effect analysis using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and Process Macro. As a result of the study, first, early childhood teachers' autonomy, teaching efficacy, and ego-resilience were found to have a positive correlation with each other. Second, when early childhood teachers' autonomy affects teacher efficacy, it was found that ego-resilience partially mediates. In other words, it can be interpreted that the autonomy of early childhood teachers has a meaningful effect when ego-resilience is added when it affects the improvement of teacher efficacy. Through this, it is intended to provide basic data for improving early childhood teachers' sense of teacher efficacy and preparing a direction for teacher education support.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.105-128
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to explore the experience and meaning of pre-service early childhood teachers who practiced health promoting activities for themselves. Methods: Research participants were 115 pre-service early childhood teachers enrolled in the health education for children course at one college in G region. The reports of activity records of their eight-week long health promotion activities were collected as qualitative data followed by content analysis being implemented. Results: First, the experience of the health promoting activities the participants took part in was categorized into 'Early phase of experience: A mix of worries and anticipation, and success and failure', 'Mid phase of experience: Being motivated by physical changes and records', and 'Late phase of experience: Continuous execution through habituation.' Second, the meaning of health promotion activities the participants took part in was categorized into 'A great opportunity for introspection', 'A meaningful start of college life', and 'A valuable chance to consider desirable roles of a teacher for early childhood health education.' Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study suggest that pre-service early childhood teachers should pay close attention to their health management, and that contents that emphasize the importance of teachers' health should be included in health education.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.129-144
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• 2016

Objective: This study's purpose was to develop a teaching competency scale for character education for early childhood teachers and to examine its reliability. Methods: The study procedure was as follows: First, scale items were generated by reviewing the literature as a deductive approach and focused interviews with 8 field experts in an inductive approach. Second, face validation was assessed by 7 academic experts, and statistical validation processes were done twice. The data used in the final statistical analyses included 206 questionnaires for early childhood teachers. Statistical validation included item response analysis, item discrimination analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis. Results: The 3 factors identified were as follows: Communicate teaching competence, practical teaching competence, and instrumental teaching competence. The validity and reliability of the Teaching Competency Scale for Character Education in Early Childhood Teachers were acceptable. Conclusion: This new scale will be a useful tool to better support character education for early childhood teachers and contribute to providing a basis for developing more sophisticated tools.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare between early childhood teachers and mothers in oral health knowledge, oral health care behavior, and perception of oral health education. The subjects in this study were 90 early childhood teachers who worked in all of kindergartens and child-care centers and 235 mothers who have young children (aged from 1 to 5) in 2 kindergartens and 2 childcare centers Y region. They completed questionnaires about oral health knowledges, oral health care behaviors, and perception of oral health education. The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, $x^2$-test, and Fisher's exact test of SPSS WIN. The results were as follows: 1. There was not statistically significant difference between early childhood teacher's knowledge about oral health and mothers'. 2. There was statistically significant difference between early childhood teachers' oral health care behaviors for children and mothers' in prevention of cavity, keeping toothbrushes, guiding oral health behaviors, and check up at dentist's. 3. There was statistically significant difference between early childhood teachers' perception of interest and experience in oral health education and mothers'. Therefore, There was not difference between early childhood teacher's knowledge about oral health and mothers. But early childhood teachers more frequently carry out preventing of cavity, keeping toothbrushes, guiding oral health behavior to their children than mothers. Mothers were more interested in oral health than early childhood teachers. And Mothers wanted to be educated about children' oral care and early childhood teachers wanted to be educated about guidebook and media of oral health education.