• 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.12 no.1
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• pp.103-121
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the listening competence of early childhood teachers on their teacher-parent communication difficulties and teacher-child interaction in an attempt to provide some information on the development of the listening competence of early childhood teachers. Three hundred and twenty two early childhood teachers participated in the study and descriptive, correlation, multiple regression analysis were conducted. The results are as follows: First, listening competence had a statistically significant negative correlation with teacher-parent communication difficulties. Second, among the sub-factors of listening competence, comprehending and interpreting, and responding exerted a statistically significant negative influence on teacher-parent communication difficulties. Third, listening competence had a statistically significant positive correlation with teacher-child interaction. Fourth, among the sub-factors of listening competence, responding, comprehending and interpreting, analyzing and evaluating exerted a statistically significant positive influence on teacher-child interaction.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.73-106
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to identify difficulties in the relationships between kindergarten teachers and parents and find out factors that make the relationship difficult. The research questions are as follows: Firstly, what are the difficulties of the kindergarten teachers in making relationship with the parents? Secondly, what are the reactions of the kindergarten teachers toward the difficulties in making relationships with the parents? The research participants were 15 teachers of private kindergartens located in C city. Semi-structured interviews were administered to the participants. Their responses were categorized into several themes while examining transcribed data continuously. The difficulties expressed by the kindergarten teachers were analyzed into "Teacher aspect" and "Parent aspect". The research findings were as follows. Firstly, the teachers found difficulty with particular characteristics of parents and their demands. Also, teachers found difficulty with making positive relationships with the parents because they perceived problems from their own perspective. Secondly, The teachers' reactions towards the difficulties of the relationships with the parents appeared into 4 different types.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.399-411
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• 2008

The study purposes to survey teacher's and child's difficulties which full day classes of public kindergarten regrouped in the afternoon time are having. The subjects are 4 full day class pre-service kindergarten teachers and 8 full-day class children in G Metropolitan City and in J Province. Data were collected through in depth interviews and participatory observation. According to the results, the variables of teachers' difficulties in managing full day classes regrouped in the afternoon time are "living as an outsider without a sense of belonging", "living as a false teacher rather than a real class teacher", and "living as a teacher giving specialty and aptitude education". The variables of children's difficulties are "moving like a migratory bird", "watching the clock and the door", and "being unable to concentrate". The study is expected to be useful as one of basic findings for desirable management of kindergarten full day classes regrouped in the afternoon time.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.55-72
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to find out what kind of difficulties teachers face in the management of the elementary gifted institutions in the rural area of Chungbuk province. In this study, rural area was defined that the area where gifted education is difficult to access due to geographical accessibility or where gifted education service is restricted. The participants of the this study were three elementary gifted teachers who manage elementary gifted education institutions and is teaching science to disadvantaged gifted students. We collected data about the difficulties and support needs for the management of the gifted institutions in the rural area through the questionnaire and the interview. The results of this study are as follows. First, the common difficulty that teachers expressed was the lack of parental attention and awareness of gifted education. Second, the teachers who participated in this study perceived different difficulties according to their area, experience, and environment. Teacher A is the lack of awareness of the managers, teacher B is the difficulty of student selection, teacher C is the most difficult factor in teacher quality management. This difference in perceptions also led to differences in the support improvements required by gifted class teachers in the rural area. Third, the three teachers commonly referred to difficulties to access due to geographical accessibility, and demanded the integrated management of the gifted class in the rural area and the support for the expansion of the class.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.74-84
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to get an implication on teacher education program, by exploring the difficulties pre-service elementary teachers have with their science lessons. 37 pre-service teachers were requested to write an anecdote about their science lessons during their 4 week practicum. By analyzing these anecdotes, the difficulties were grouped into several categories by the researcher, and then reconfirmed by the pre-service teachers themselves. The result showed that there were far more difficulties with practical work (cases: 48), than with content knowledge teaching (cases: 17). Among practical work related difficulties, the most frequent cases were: 1) when they have unexpected result different from scientific theory (cases: 10), 2) when they teach process skill and usage of lab equipments (cases: 8), and 3) when they do not have enough preparation for practical work (cases: 7). Unlike the result of preceding research on secondary pre-service teachers, there was no affective aspect problems. These difficulties also can be divided into 'problems' and 'dilemmas'. Whereas 'problems' can be settled by removing obstacles, 'dilemmas', a conflict-filled situation, require choices between competing values or aims. The use of scientific language, the decision on the level and amount of knowledge they teach, and disposal of unexpected experiment results caused such dilemmas in science lessons. The research results imply practical work should be more strengthened in the elementary teacher education program. And both teacher educators and pre-service teachers need to understand that practical teaching is a complex enterprise accompanying some 'dilemmas'. The role of science teachers as managers of dilemmas could be considered.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.166-182
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• 2019

This study examined teachers' difficulties that they encountered free semester science assessment and their problem solutions. Fifteen science teachers who had experiences of free semester teaching and assessment were selected by convenience sampling in this study. The participant teachers mentioned difficulties of accurate scoring in student self/peer assessment and suggested solutions of providing studetns with detailed assessment criteria and opportunities to practice assessment. The participant teachers mentioned a lack of objective assessment criteria for affective domain and suggested solutions of providing criteria prior to assessment and developing assessment framework. The participant teachers mentioned a lack of assessment tools and references for perforamnce assesement. The participant teachers mentioned difficulties of a large teacherstudent ratio for providng feedbacks to students and suggested solutions of decreasing teacher-student ratio and teaching load. The participant teachers mentioned difficulties of identifying student characteristics for assessment reporting and suggested solutions of decreaing teacher work load. The participant teachers mentioned a lack of teacher understanding of process based assessment and inactive attitude to performance assessment and suggested solutions of professional learning community and improving teacher perceptions on performance assessment. The participant teachers mentioned difficulties of a large teacher-student ratio and a lack of time for implementing assessment methods that they learned from professional development programs. With both teacher self-efforts and systematic support, these problems would be solved and success of free semester assessment would be achieved.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.49-71
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• 2021

Objective: This study aims to explore the experiences of women who take a career break while working in daycare center as a teacher assistant. Methods: Seven assistant teachers and two child care teachers who took more than two years of career break were selected and given in-depth interviews over 17 weeks from August to December in 2020. Results: The results of this study are as follows. First, the women experienced the need for a career transition as an assistant teacher because it was time to for a change. Second, while working as a teacher assistant, they had various experiences and meanings in the process of career transition while playing the role as a teacher in daycare centers. Third, they also had some difficulties in conflict and some needs to build their professional expertise as a teacher. Conclusion/Implications: The study is expected to give insights to understand the difficulties of teachers who had experienced the need for a career transition as teacher assistant and to provide important data to develop teacher professional development.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 1978

In order to normalized the Earth Science Education, experiments and geologic field trainings are very important. But it have not carried out on account of many difficulties in current High School of Korea. These difficulties are lack of time, many problems of the text book, heavy teaching load, shortage of facilities and experimental equipments, and poor quality of teacher etc. The practical training of geologic field trip is very important in Earth Science Education. Finally, wirter propose a new teaching plan of geologic field training as follows: 1. The teacher must prepare the guide paper of field geologic training. 2. Subjects of practical training must simplify. 3. The teacher must take a pre-field investigation in order to get the teaching plan and the preparation of practical field training. 4. Let students observe for themselves on this guide, as if they were geologists. 5. The teacher must conclude about practical training after the working.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.588-596
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for improving the STEAM class by examining elementary school teachers' difficulties in the STEAM class and discussing solutions. For this research, 25 elementary school teachers in Seoul City and Gyeonggi-do were asked to write their difficulties in the STEAM class in the open-ended questionnaires. After classification of the collected data, an in-depth interview was conducted with one in-service elementary school teacher who is richly experienced in STEAM education to find solutions for each type of difficulties. The study result showed that most of elementary school teachers had difficulties in the STEAM class, due to selection of integrated subjects, production of teaching devices and materials, guidance of group activities, reorganization of the curriculum, assessment and uncooperative co-teachers. One teacher that participated in the interview to discuss solutions for teachers' difficulties was solving the problems in various ways. She said that many of her solutions came from her experience and also, knowledge obtained through a participation in the STEAM training or opportunities to share information with other teachers who belong to the STEAM research institution, was highly helpful.