• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.159-173
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• 2018

Objective: The main purpose of this study was examine the relationships among goodness of fit between mother and child, child's self-esteem and quality of home environment. Also, the moderating effects of quality of home environment among preschoolers were investigated in the relation of interest in this study. Methods: The study subjects were 195 children who attended preschools, located in Seoul. The preschoolers' self-esteem was tested by the trained researcher, and both of levels of goodness of fit between the mother-child and quality of home environment were rated by the mothers of this study. Results: The main results of this study found that levels of preschoolers' self-esteem were positively related to goodness of fit between the mother-child, and quality of home environment. Furthermore, the effects of goodness of fit between mother-child on preschoolers' cognitive, physical, and emotional self-esteem were moderated by the quality of home environment. Conclusion/Implications: Along with those findings, implications for research and practice were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.25-42
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• 2014

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the variables as related to self-determination in preschoolers. In order to meet the purpose of this study preschoolers' self-determination, their playfulness, self-regulation, and self-esteem as well as goodness of fit between mother and child were taken into account as study variables of interest. Furthermore, the mediating effect of preschoolers' self-esteem in the effects of study variables on their self-esteem was examined. Three hundred thirty seven preschooler(aged 6-7 years old)-mother pairs who attended public subsidized child care facilities, located in Seoul and Gyeongi province were sampled. The data were obtained from mother-filled surveys, and on-site observations from both head teachers of the children as well as trained researchers. The obtained data were analyzed by using SPSS 21.0, and structural equation model (SEM) was tested with AMOS 21.0. The main results of this study were in the following. First, it was proven that self-determination of the preschoolers' influenced directly or indirectly on their self-esteem, their playfulness, and self-regulation, as well as goodness of mother-child fit. Also, the result pertaining to the mediational effects of child's self-esteem in the effects of study variables of interest on the child's self-determination were revealed. Along with results of this study, there is a strong need to empower the preschoolers' self-determination through improvement of their self-esteem in early childhood education and care as well as in family settings.