• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the moderating effect of mothers' play support beliefs on the relation between mothers' insecure attachment and children's playfulness. Methods: The research participants of this study include 254 children aged 3 to 5, who attended kindergartens and day care centers located in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chung-cheong, and their 254 mothers. For data analyses, descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted using SPSS 23.0 program. Results: First, there was negative association between mothers' insecure attachment and play support beliefs. Social spontaneity and expression of joy were negatively related to mothers' insecure attachment. However, mothers' play support beliefs showed positive associations with children's playfulness, particularly including children's physical spontaneity and expression of joy. In addition, mothers' play support beliefs moderated the relation between mothers' insecure attachment and children's expression of joy. However, the beliefs did not moderate the relation between mothers' insecure attachment and other playfulness traits. Conclusion/Implications: The findings of the present study indicate that mothers' understanding of the importance of play may buffer the adverse effect of mothers' insecure attachment on children's capabilities of expressing their sense of pleasure.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.49-63
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• 2017

This study aims to investigate the effect of early childhood teachers' mathematical attitude on their mathematics teaching efficacy and to prove the moderating role of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in mathematics, which we selected based upon previous literatures. To explore the effect of early childhood teachers' mathematical attitude on their mathematics teaching efficacy and the moderating role of PCK in mathematics between them, This study randomly sampled 500 early childhood teachers who work at child care centers and kindergartens in Seoul, Kyunggi province and Kangwon province and collected their responses by questionnaires. Mathematics teaching efficacy was measured with mathematics teaching efficacy scale for early childhood teachers developed by Luo (2000) and translated by Jung (2001a). Mathematical attitude was measured with Smith (2000)'s scale which we translated for this study. To measure the pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics, we revised Hong(2012)'s scale to be applicable for early childhood teachers. Direct effect of mathematical attitude on mathematics teaching efficacy and the moderating effect of PCK in mathematics were analyzed by multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS 21.0. Study results demonstrated the significant direct effect of mathematical attitude on mathematics teaching efficacy. Also, the moderating effect of PCK in mathematics was also proved to be significant. That is, if the teacher has high level of pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics, the positive effect of mathematical attitude on mathematics teaching efficacy was even more enhanced. This results supports the current finding where PCK in mathematics functions as a moderating variable between mathematical attitude and mathematics teaching efficacy. Thus, our study is expected to provide relevant contents that should be covered during teacher education, which aims to improve early childhood teachers' mathematics teaching efficacy.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.91-111
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• 2024

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore trends in institutional evaluation research in early childhood education through keyword network analysis. This aims to understand trends in academic discourse on institutional evaluation and gain implications for follow-up research and related policy directions. Methods: A total of 6,629 keywords were extracted from 572 dissertations and journal articles published from January 2006 to October 2023 for the purpose of analyzing and visualizing the frequency and centrality of keywords, as well as the structural properties of keyword networks. The analysis and visualization were conducted using the TEXTOM, UCINET6, and NetDraw programs. Results: First, the number of institutional evaluation studies increased steadily from 2006 to 2010 and then decreased, with a higher frequency of studies on daycare centers compared to kindergartens. Second, the most frequently occurring keyword in the analysis was 'daycare center,' and the highest connection strength was found in the term 'daycare-center-evaluation.' Third, network analysis revealed that key terms for institutional evaluation research included 'evaluation certification,' 'recognition,' 'evaluation indicators,' 'teacher,' 'daycare center,' and 'kindergarten.' In the ego network analysis for each institution, 'parent' emerged as a highly ranked keyword. Conclusion/Implications: This study confirmed the perspectives of previous studies by revealing the structure of core concepts in early childhood education institution evaluation research, and provided implications for follow-up and direction of institution evaluation

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.87-99
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• 2012

This study aimed at examining the problems in character education in early childhood education and elementary education in Korea and at providing policy implications for more effective character education. The study interviewed 20 teachers from child care centers, kindergartens and elementary schools located in Seoul and Gyeonggi province using the focus group interview method. The results showed teachers' level of understanding of the definition and purpose of character education. Teachers experienced difficulty because they lacked a manual as well as training for character education and because of the inconsistency between character education and the burden of academic performance. The lack of connection among character education in early childhood education and elementary school, strong needs for parent education, and partnership between the three spheres of the home, school, and community were also implied.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.37-57
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• 2019

Objective: This study aimed to find out whether concern for children mediates the impact of parenting competence on the anger expression of mothers with young children. Methods: Subjects consisted of 219 mothers with children aged 3 to 6 years old attending kindergartens and daycare centers. The motehrs were given 3 rating scales about parenting competence, concerns about their children, and anger expression. The Parental Anger Scales measuring anger expression consisted of sub-factors such as situational anger, impulsive behavior, and difficulty of anger control. Results: Using the data collected, correlation analysis and the regression analysis procedure by Baron & Kenny(1968) were conducted; the significance of the mediating effects was verified by the Sobel test. First, the study found that there were significant positive correlations between mother's parenting competence, concern about children, and anger expression. Second, mothers' concern about their children had partial mediating effects on the relationships between parenting competence and overall anger expression, situational anger and impulsive behavior, and a complete mediating effect on the relationship between parenting competence and difficulty with anger control. Conclusion/Implications: These results were discussed in terms of the approach and content of parent education to help parents with young children control their anger.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.73-88
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• 2023

Objective: This study aims to examine the impact of young children's playfulness and self-esteem on their creative personality. Methods: The sample consisted of 332 four- and five-year-old children enrolled in kindergartens and daycare centers in Incheon. Teacher-report measures of playfulness, self-esteem, and creative personality scales were used for data collection instruments. The collected data were analyzed using t-test, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Firstly, significant differences were found in all variables based on children's gender, while age and birth order did not show statistically significant differences. Secondly, young children's playfulness and self-esteem were found to have a positive impact on their creative personality. Specifically, among the sub-variables, cognitive spontaneity and humor in playfulness, along with competency in self-esteem, showed relatively higher levels of impact on young children's creative personality. Conclusion/Implications: The study findings emphasize the necessity of comprehensive support systems that foster playfulness and self-esteem to enhance young children's creative personality. This includes providing proper teacher training and a range of instructional materials, along with parental education.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.53-70
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the mediating effects of mother's smartphone addiction on the relationship between mothers' parenting stress and young children's smartphone addiction. Methods: This study conducted a survey targeting a total of 327 mothers with young children between the ages of 3-5 years that were attending kindergartens and daycare centers in Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, and the Busan region. After exploring the relationship between mothers' parenting stress, mothers' smartphone addiction, and young children's smartphone addiction based on the collected data, this study comparatively analyzed the complete mediation and partial mediation models by using the structural equation. Results: The mothers' smartphone addiction played a partial mediating role in the relationship between mothers' parenting stress and young children's smartphone addiction. In other words, the mothers' parenting stress and mothers' smartphone addiction were important variables for young children's smartphone addiction. Conclusion/Implications: This study aims to provide basiv data for the prevention of problems caused by young children's smartphone addiction, by exploring the paths of mothers' parenting stress and mothers' smartphone addiction which have effects on young children's smartphone addiction.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the structural relationship between the authentic leadership of the director, social support, and teacher efficacy perceived by early childhood teachers. Methods: The participants of the study were 433 teachers working at kindergartens and daycare centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The data collected through the survey were analyzed by applying a structural equation model. Results: As a result of the study, it was found that the authentic leadership of the director perceived by early childhood teachers had a positive (+) effect on the early childhood teachers' social support and teacher efficacy, respectively, and social support had a positive (+) effect on teacher efficacy of the early childhood teachers. The results showed that social support had a positive mediating effect in the relationship between the director's authentic leadership and teacher efficacy perceived by early childhood teachers. Conclusion/Implications: The results suggest that it is necessary to establish a social support system through the exercise of the director's authentic leadership in order to improve the teacher efficacy of early childhood teachers.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.93-109
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effect of innovative culture in early childhood education institutions on the relationship between teachers' civic consciousness and actions for building a community in order to obtain methodological information for implementation at a time when the need to build an education community has been raised. Methods: The data were collected through 275 early childhood teachers working in kindergartens and daycare centers Then, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression were conducted. Results: All three variables civic consciousness, innovative culture, and actions for building a community showed a significant positive correlation. As a result of analyzing the mediating effect of innovation culture, it was found that the indirect effect of teachers' civic consciousness on the actions for building a community through the innovative culture was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion/Implications: This study was found that it is important to strengthen the teacher's civic consciousness and to create an innovative culture of early childhood education institutions in order to promote actions for building an educational community of teachers. This study is meaningful in that it provided implications for the direction of teacher education and formation of an innovative culture in early childhood education institutions for the purpose building an educational community.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.59-73
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of early childhood teacher's constructivist educational beliefs and teaching efficacy on creative teaching behavior. Methods: The subjects of this study were 262 early childhood teachers working in daycare centers and kindergartens all over the country. A questionnaire was administered which assessed early childhood teacher's constructivist educational beliefs, teaching efficacy, and creative teaching behavior. SPSS 28.0 was used for data analysis. Results: First, the constructivist educational beliefs of early childhood teachers had a positive effect on teaching efficacy. Second, it was found that early childhood teachers' constructivist educational beliefs and teaching efficacy had a positive effect on creative teaching behavior, and at the same time, early childhood teachers' constructivist educational beliefs were partially mediated by teaching efficacy. Conclusion/Implications: This study revealed the mediating effects of teaching efficacy in constructivist educational beliefs and creative teaching behavior relationships. Therefore, in order to promote creative teaching behavior of early childhood teachers, efforts should be made to increase teaching efficacy based on constructivist educational beliefs.