• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.293-305
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• 2016

This study examines the mediation effect of teacher-child interactions in the process of the impact of teacher's teaching-efficacy on childhood education institutions and classroom environment on peer-play interactions. We used data from 970 children aged between 49 and 55 months and 970 homeroom teachers from the fifth Korean Child Panel (2012) of the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. The model fitness was excellent after data were statistically analyzed with model of structure to testify the relationship and effect among teaching efficacy, classroom environment, teacher-child interactions, and peer-play interactions. First, the analysis also showed that the teacher's teaching efficacy did not influence peer-play interactions directly, but gave an indirect effect on the peer-play interactions with the mediation of the teacher-child interactions. Second, the classroom environment directly and indirectly influenced the peer-play interactions with the mediation of the teacher-child interactions. Third, the variable of teacher-child interactions was fully effective as a mediating variable in the process of the teaching efficacy and classroom environment influence on teacher-child interactions. Teaching efficacy and classroom environment influenced the peer-play interactions through the mediation of the teacher-child interactions. The significance of mediation effect of the teacher-child interactions was verified through a bootstrapping method.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1-19
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• 2019

Objective: This study examined the mediating effects of child care teachers' self-esteem in the relationship between teachers' difficulties communicating with parents and teacher-child interactions. Methods: A total of 450 child care teachers answered questionnaires based on three research variables. Data were analyzed using SEM. Results: First, child care teachers' difficulties communicating with parents had a direct effect on teacher-child interactions. That is, child care teachers who experienced more difficulties communicating with parents showed more negative teacher-child interactions. Second, child care teachers' difficulties communicating with parents had an indirect effect on teacher-child interactions through teachers' self-esteem. In other words, when child care teachers experienced more difficulties communicating with parents, their self-esteem was lower, which led to increased negative teacher-child interactions. Conclusion/Implications: This study highlights the importance of effective communication between child care teachers and parents. In addition, these findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism by which child care teachers' difficulties communicating with parents influence teacher-child interactions.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.73-92
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• 2021

Objective: This study examined the relationships among social support in the workplace, social support outside the workplace, child care teachers' psychological burnout, and teacher-child interactions. Methods: The subjects of this study were 262 child care teachers and they responded to questionnaires on research variables. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: First, social support outside the workplace had a direct effect on teacher-child interactions; that is, child care teachers, who perceived that they received a high level of social support outside the workplace, had high-quality interactions with children. Second, social support in the workplace had an indirect effect on teacher-child interactions through child care teachers' psychological burnout. In other words, child care teachers, who perceived that they received a high level of social support in the workplace, experienced less psychological burnout, which led to high-quality interactions with children. Conclusion/Implications: This study confirmed that the paths in which social support in the workplace and social support outside the workplace influence teacher-child interactions were different. Although the pathways were different, the results of this study emphasize that both types of social support are important factors that promote teacher-child interactions.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.73-89
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• 2024

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of communication and cooperation between teachers and parents on infant care. Specifically, this study explored the direct effect of teacher-parent partnership on teacher-infant interactions and the indirect effect through teacher sensitivity. Methods: The participants of this study were 216 teachers in charge of infant classes at child care centers located in Gyeonggi-do. They responded to questionnaires on teacher-parent partnership, their sensitivity, and teacher-infant interactions. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: First, teacher-parent partnership did not have a direct impact on teacher-infant interactions. Second, teacher-parent partnership indirectly influenced teacher-infant interactions through teacher sensitivity. In other words, a high level of teacher-parent partnership was associated with a high level of sensitivity, subsequently resulting in the provision of high-quality interactions for infants. Conclusion/Implications: This study confirmed the role of teacher sensitivity as a mechanism to explain how teacher-parent partnership is linked to teacher-child interactions. The results emphasize the importance of communication and cooperation between teachers and parents in enhancing teachers' sensitivity and, ultimately, providing high-quality child care to infants.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.281-299
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between the quality of teacher-child relationship, child temperament, and teacher-child interaction. The subjects were 51 3-4 years old children who were attending a preschool in Seoul and their mothers. The mothers of the young children rated child temperament and the head teachers of the children evaluated the quality of teacher-child relationship. The frequency of teacher-child interactions in the classroom was collected through observation during self-selected activities in the classrooms. Observational data included frequency of teacher-initiated interactions and number of child-initiated interactions. The results showed that boys were more likely to have conflictual relationships with teachers and girls were likely to have close relationships with teachers. And lower levels of effortful control were associated with teacher-child conflict. More child-initiated interactions were related to the conflict relationships with teachers. Results suggest that child characteristics and teacher-child interactions contribute to children's relationships with teachers.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.247-252
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• 2023

The purpose of the study was to examine the mediating effect of kindergarten teachers' psychological burnout in the relationship between grit and teacher-child interactions. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 191 kindergarten teachers in South Korean. To measure the major variables, Grit scale [1], teacher-child interaction scale [2], and psychological burnout scale [3] were used. Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to test mediation effects of psychological burnout in the relationship between grit and teacher-child interactions. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped confidence intervals. As the results, kindergarten teachers' teacher-child interactions were found to have a significantly positive correlation with their grit but a significantly negative correlation with their psychological burnout. In addition, the relationship between grit and teacher-child interactions was mediated by psychological burnout.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.197-210
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of young children's stay hours on kindergartens or child care centers on their language, cognition, and social development with teacher-child interactions as a mediator. For this purpose, the data from the 2013 Panel Study on Korean Children were analyzed using the GLM and pattern analysis. The results of the GLM analysis were as follows. First, the main effects of the stay hours on child development were statistically significant Second, the main effects of the level of teacher-child interaction were also statistically significant on the results of child development. Third, the moderating effect of teacher-child interaction level between the stay hours and child development were also significant. The results showed that young children's stay hours effected their language, cognitive, and social development and teacher-child interactions mediated these effects.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.427-433
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• 2021

This study examined the influence of child care teachers' playfulness on teacher-child interactions. The mediating influence of the teacher's efficacy on these relationships was also examined. The study subjects were 293 child care teachers in Busan and Gyeongnam. The collected data were analyzed with a structural equation model to verify the structures and paths among the variables overall. The results were as follows. First, teachers' playfulness directly affected the teacher-child interactions. Second, the teacher's efficacy had a direct effect on the teacher-child interactions. Third, teachers' playfulness not only influenced the teacher-child interactions directly but also influenced teacher-child interactions through the teacher's efficacy. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the influence of child care teachers' playfulness on teacher-child interactions mediated by the teacher's efficacy.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.355-361
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• 2024

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of early childhood teachers' professional development and Grit on their teacher-child interactions. The subjects were 363 early childhood teachers working at kindergartens or childcare centers of South Korea. We used self-reporting survey questionnaires to measure the major variables and utilized the SPSS 28.0 Program to analyze the collected data. Cronbach's alphas were calculated and the descriptive statistical analyses were conducted. To investigate the research questions, Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were done. As results, the higher early childhood teachers' professional development and Grit were, the higher their teacher-child interactions were. Early childhood teachers' professional development and Grit were found to have positive effects on their teacher-child interactions, which showed that professional development and Grit would predict the quality of interactions between teacher and young children. Based on these results, we suggest the importance of early childhood teachers' professional development and Grit so that they practice excellent interactions with young children in order to support development and learning through play.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.163-168
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• 2023

The purpose of the study was to examine the mediating effect of early childhood teachers' professional development in the relationship between intrapersonal intelligence and teacher-child interactions. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 324 early childhood teachers working at kindergartens and child-care centers in South Korea. The empirical data using survey questionnaires were collected by administering the Adult Introspective Intelligence Scale, the Professional Development Scale for Early Childhood Teachers, and the Teacher-child Interactions Scale. SPSS and Hayes' PROCESS macro weres utilized. The results showed the statistically positive correlations between the major variable and the mediating effect of early childhood teachers' professional development in the relationship between intrapersonal intelligence and teacher-child interactions.