The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in elementary school children's human rights sensitivity and the perception of human rights depending on child variables, family variables, school variables, and predictive influences among these variables. The participants were 1,364 elementary school children in the 'Current Status of Korean Children's and Youth's Rights(2013)'. The results of this study were as follows: First, the variables influencing children's human rights sensitivity were school life experience, grade, the degree to which adolescents think they are respected in deciding family issues, gender, experiences of teacher's swear words, experiences of being neglected, and experiences of being bullied at school. Second, the variables influencing children's perception of human rights were gender, experiences of parents' swear words, school life experience, the degree to which adolescents think they are respected in deciding family issues, and father's educational achievements. The results of this study offered fundamental data about the important issues in researching children's rights and the policy implications for enhancing them.

This study attempted to explore child, family, and parents' psychological factors that were related to quality of home environment among families with preschoolers in Korea. The relationships between a series of factors and home environment and the predictive effects of the factors on HOME scores were analyzed using data from 1,690 families who participated in the5th wave of the PSKC (Panel Study of Korean Children) when the target child's age was about 4 years old. The results revealed that when the child was a boy and when the child had a difficult temperament, the overall HOME scores were lower. Mothers' age, parents' education, family income, poverty and family life events were significantly related to the HOME scores, too. All of the psychological factors of both mothers and fathers were significantly correlated with the HOME scores. When both mother and father had less depressive symptoms, lower level of parenting stress and greater marital satisfaction, the HOME scores were higher. Regression analysis showed that child's gender, father's education and mothers' marital satisfaction were relatively strong predictors of HOME. The policy implication for parent education and suggestions for future study were proposed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parenting behavior and peer interaction on externalizing problem behaviors of preschoolers. The data of 953 49~55 month old preschoolers and their parents were extracted from the Korean Children Panel Survey of Child-Care Policy Research Institute(2012). This study was conducted with Structural Equation Modeling(SEM). The results of this study were as follows. First, parenting behavior had a direct influence on externalizing problem behaviors of preschoolers. Second, parenting behavior had a direct influence on preschoolers' peer interaction. Third, preschoolers' peer interaction had a direct influence on externalizing problem behaviors of preschoolers. Fourth, preschoolers' peer interaction had mediating effects on the relationship between parenting behavior and externalizing problem behaviors of preschoolers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of teachers' vocational aptitude and sense of responsibility on their teaching efficacy in early childhood education and care. 259 teachers in ECEC were recruited from 19 daycare centers and the data were analyzed through frequency, percentage, Pearson's correlations, and stepwise regression using SPSS 18.0. The findings are as follows. First, teachers' teaching efficacy was significantly different according to their age, the number of years of teaching experiences, and education levels. Second, all degrees of teachers' vocational aptitude, sense of responsibility, and their teaching efficacy were higher than the median points. Second, teachers' efficacy relating with running class was affected most by the ability of safe management in vocational aptitude, and teaching methods in sense of responsibility. For teachers' efficacy relating to teaching, acceptability/sensitivity in vocational aptitude and motivation had the most impact. The implication was discussed in order to figure out the ways to increase teachers' efficacy.

The present study was designed to examine the structural relationship between mothers' perceptions of their relationships with their parents and husbands (as the predictors of parenting self-efficacy), mothers' parenting self-efficacy (PSE), and parenting behaviors among contemporary Korean mothers. A sample of 95 Korean mothers of pre-school,1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade elementary school children in Seoul, South Korea were recruited. Mothers were asked to respond to a survey that captured mothers' perceptions of their relationships with their parents and husbands, PSE, and their parenting behaviors. Structural equation modeling(SEM) was applied to analyze the hypothesized model. The results indicate that mothers who perceive their relationships with their own parents as positive were more likely to have higher PSE. In addition, mothers who reported higher PSE levels were less likely to be inconsistent in their parenting behaviors and more likely to be responsive in their parenting behaviors. The results of this study underscore the importance of PSE as a psychological resource that enables contemporary Korean mothers to parent in positive ways. Furthermore, these findings emphasize the importance of mothers' perceptions of their social relationships as a factor that contributes to higher PSE.

The present study examined effects of human rights education activities using bullying fairy tales on young children's human rights attitudes and self-esteem. The subjects of the study were a total of 40 five years old. children. Twenty of children were assigned to an experimental group and the other 20 children were assigned to a control group. The experimental group participated in human rights education activities using bullying fairy tales 21 times, 3 times a week for 7 weeks and the control group participated in Nurui curriculum activities during the same periods.. The study results indicated that the experimental group showed more improvement in their human rights attitudes and self-esteem than the control group. Therefore human rights education activities using the bullying fairy tales used in this study might be an effective educational mothod to enhence young children's human rights attitudes and self-esteem.

This study examined the effects of constructivist educational beliefs and self-regulated learning skills of children on teacher professional development. The study was conducted by sampling 273 teachers. Three kinds of variables, which included constructivist educational beliefs, self-regulated learning ability, and professional development level were measured and analyzed for this study. The results were as follows. First, early childhood teachers beliefs of constructivist education, self-regulated learning ability and professional development were found to be higher than average. Second, the professional development of early childhood teachers is shown to be correlated with constructivist educational beliefs and self-regulated learning ability. When constructivist educational beliefs and self-regulated learning ability scores increases, the professional development score is high. Third, metacognitive strategies, cognitive strategies and constructivist educational beliefs are factors that predict the professional development of early childhood teachers. According to results of this study, it suggests that constructivist educational beliefs and self-regulated learning ability are important factors to be addressed.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of marital conflicts perceived by fathers on preschoolers' behavior problems, and to investigate the mediating effect of paternal child rearing behavior. This study used survey data on 4 year-old infants which was conducted in 2012(5th year) by KICCE. Correlation analysis and structural equation were conducted using SPSS 23 and AMOS 23 for the data analysis, and the results of this study are as follows. First, marital conflicts perceived by fathers and preschoolers behavior problems showed a positive correlation, and they especially showed a greater positive correlation with offensive behavior, anxiety/depression, and other problems. On the other hand, it was identified that paternal child rearing behavior has a negative correlation with marital conflict and preschoolers' behavior problems when paternal child rearing behavior is compassionate and dominant. Secondly, it was identified that warm parenting behavior of fathers mediates the effect of marital conflicts on preschoolers' behavior problems. However, it was verified that the mediating effect of controlling parenting behavior is not significant. On the other hand, it was identified that the mediating effect of warm parenting behavior of fathers has a greater effect on internalized problems than external problems.

The purpose of this study is to examine how the opportunities of close emotional support and communication provided by child-teacher dialogue journal writing activities are meaningful to the three subjects of early childhood education, children, teacher, and parents, and provide implications about how to utilize child-teacher dialogue journal writing activities in the field of education properly. According to the findings, first, to children, child-teacher dialogue journal writing activities are meaningful as asecret time between them and their teacher, time that their teacher pays keen attention to them, and time to enhance confidence. Second, to teachers, child-teacher dialogue journal writing activities are meaningful as aspecial time to be with children, time to understand children, and time to reflect on their educational process and figure out proper teaching or supporting methods. Third, to parents, child-teacher dialogue journal writing activities are meaningful in a way in which they can understand moreabout their children and is a meaningful time to plan and provide proper care upon their children's wishes or needs.

This study examined the effects of fathers' play participation on young children's social competence and self-regulation. The subjects consisted of 180 fathers with children at ages between 4-7 years old from 2 preschools and 3 kindergartens located in Y city in Gyeonggi province. The analyses used for this study included the t-test and multiple regression analysis. The main findings are as follows. First, fathers' play participation was not different by sociodemographic characteristics such as fathers' age, educational level, and job. Second, fathers' participation in functional play, role play, and constructive play was positively related to social activator, reassurance, and cooperation among subscales on children's social competence. Also, fathers' participation in games was negatively related to reassurance among children and positively related to hypersensitivity among children. Third, fathers' participation in role play and functional play was positively related to children's self-monitoring and self-control. These findings suggest emphasizing fathers' play participation to improve children's social competence and children's self-regulation, and it can be helpful to underline fathers' education and to develop programs for fathers' play.

This study examined the mediating effect of emotional labor in the relations between teachers' emotional intelligence and teacher-child interaction of novice early childhood teachers. The sample consisted of 248 novice early childhood teachers in Gyeonggi Province. The structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS to test the fit of a hypothesized structural model. The mediating effect of emotional labor was verified by the bootstrapping approach. The results were as follows: First, teacher-child interaction was positively associated with teachers' emotional intelligence and deep acting in emotional labor was negatively associated with surface acting in emotional labor. Next, surface acting in emotional labor had a mediating effect on the relations between emotional intelligence and teacher-child interaction. Finally, deep acting of emotional labor had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between emotional intelligence and teacher-child interaction. Based on these findings, ways to enhance teachers' emotional intelligence in relation to the novice teachers' emotional characteristics, and to improve recognition on emotional labor were discussed.

The aim of this study is to examine children's desires in a toy library and what they want to do there in order to reflect their opinions on constructing a toy library in a child care center. The study has been conducted by participatory observation on a 'toy library' project consisting of 20 five-year-olds attending B public child care center in Seoul. Observational notes were taken with voice and video recordings. The results of analysis on collected data are as follows. First, the children wanted to call the toy library a toy playground because a toy library is not for study but for play and they wanted space for rest and display with no surveillance camera. Second, they wanted to play freely without any interruption, even leaving things scattered and also wanted to play with parents and friends. Discussion followed in the view of children's right to play and to express their opinions.

The purposes of this study were to examine relations among attachment security, playfulness, and social competence during the preschool period and to investigate relative effects of attachment security and playfulness on preschoolers' social competence. A total of forty eight 4-year-old preschool children participated in the current study. Attachment security was assessed using the Attachment Q-sort during a two- or two and half hour home visit. Preschoolers' playfulness and social competence were evaluated by mothers. First, preschoolers' attachment security was significantly associated with their interpersonal adjustment. Preschoolers with secure attachment were rated by their mothers as having higher interpersonal adjustment. In addition, preschoolers' playfulness was significantly related to popularity/leadership and social participation. Second, when preschoolers' attachment security and playfulness were entered together to predict social competence, attachment security and sense of humor were significant predictors of preschoolers' interpersonal adjustment, and social and cognitive spontaneity significantly predicted popularity/leadership. With respect to social participation, preschoolers' physical spontaneity was a significant predictor. Findings of this study indicate that attachment security and playfulness tap into different aspects of social competence, suggesting that both are needed to be emphasized in the development of social competence during the preschool period.

This study investigates how naturally occurring parent groups form by using Schaefer's two axes of affection-rejection and autonomy-control, it also aims to verify whether there is a significant difference in the parent groups' emotional expressiveness and children's peer competence. A total of 201 kindergarten children between the age of 3 to 5 and their parents were given a questionnaire in order to investigate parenting attitudes and emotional expression. And children's teachers measured their peer competence. SPSS 18.0 was used and clustering analysis was conducted according to different parenting attitudes. The first fathers' group was named the lacking-affection group, the second was the democratic-reception group, the third was the ignorance group and the last was the rejection group. For mothers' groups, the first was named the rejection group, the second was the autonomous-control group and the third was the reception-respect group. Parents' emotional expressiveness of each group had a considerable difference while there was no significant difference between children's peer competence. This study was dedicated in deriving meaningful implications on the role of parents by investing the differences between each naturally occurring cluster.