• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.530-537
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the satisfaction with pre-service childcare, the work related stress, and the conflicts perceived by pre-service childcare teachers. The data was processed using the SPSS Statistical Package Program, and the frequencies, means, and standard deviations were calculated. Reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were also conducted. The results showed that the class contents, the environment of childcare practice, and the conflicts with children were stressful and they negatively affected practice satisfaction. Second, there was statistically significant negative correlation between the pre-service teachers' childcare practice stress, conflict during the practice, and practice satisfaction. Third, the stress of preservice teachers' childcare practice and the conflict felt during the practice also affect the childcare practice satisfaction. Based on these findings, further study is needed for implementing effective measures in order to improve the practice satisfaction with exhaustive pre-practical education and the field job-oriented curriculum. These measures will enable students majoring in childcare to experience less stress and conflicts during their education.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.391-412
• /
• 2014

The Integrated Center for Early Childhood Education and Care established 595 centers in 2013 that are integrated kindergarten and nursery centers. The Japanese government revised the law for the Center for Early Childhood Education and Care in 2012 and published the standards for equipment, management, and curriculum for early childhood education and care in April 2014. Presently the standards for equipment and management for integrated centers for early childhood education and care is based on a higher level than kindergarten and nursery centers. Therefore, the quality of education and care that the kindergarten and nursery centers are currently providing can be expected to continue. However childhood education and care curriculum is excessively emphasized education. Because infants and toddlers of 0-5years are spending most of the day in integrated centers for early childhood education and care, the contents related to childcare should be strengthened.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.19-37
• /
• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effect of the national preschool curriculum on children's development in Korea, focusing on teachers' daily practice. By comparing the effect of the teachers' curriculum practice to that of quantitatively measured free play, it tried to add practical implications beyond the statistical significance. Methods: Participants were 512 three-year-old children who participated in the Panel Study of Korean Children and their teachers. National curriculum practice and free play time at the age of three was put in the hierarchical linear regression models to discover children's developmental outcomes at the age of four, in domains of language, cognitive development, and social development. Results: Results demonstrated the significant positive influence of national curriculum practice on every domain of developmental outcomes. However, no facilitative influence of free play time was observed. Conclusion/Implications: The importance of teachers' practice of the national curriculum was emphasized. It was implied that the quantity of free play time itself did not assure the sound development of children. Policy implications were discussed regarding teacher practice and education.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-19
• /
• 2024

Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify the mediating effect of reflective thinking in the relationship between early childhood teachers' play-based curriculum implementation competences and their digital competences. Methods: An online survey was conducted targeting 330 early childhood teachers. Descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and The Process macro model 4 were performed using SPSS 28.0 and The Process macro 4.1. Results: The main results of this study are outlined as follows: first, a significant positive correlation was observed between overall play-based curriculum implementation competences, reflective thinking, and digital competences, including each of their respective sub-factors. Second, the study revealed that reflective thinking played a partial mediating role in the relationship between early childhood teachers' play-based curriculum implementation competences and digital competences. Conclusion/Implications: Through this study, it was confirmed that when reflective thinking mediated play-based curriculum implementation competences, digital competences were further increased. The findings suggest that not only positive play-based curriculum implementation competences of teachers but also reflective thinking should be considered to enhance digital competences.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.107-133
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the perceptions of mothers about the Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds. The subjects were 382 mothers whose 3-5-year old children went to kindergartens (192 mothers) and daycare centers (190 mothers). The findings were as follows: First, the majority of the mothers knew that the Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds started to be carried out in 2012, but many of them weren't told about the details at all. Second, the mothers considered the Nuri curriculum necessary, and were roughly satisfied with the ongoing Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds. Third, there was no difference in the mothers' perceptions of environmental factors required for the Nuri curriculum. Fourth, the mothers whose children went to kindergartens chose warm and enthusiastic character as important quality of teachers. The mothers whose children went to daycare centers chose friendly and caring character as important qualities of teachers. Fifth, the mothers perceived that the Nuri curriculum was relatively useful for the qualitative improvement of early childhood education and childcare. Sixth, the majority of the mothers didn't have their children transfer to another early childhood education institution after the Nuri curriculum for 5-year olds was carried out.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.561-582
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of pre-service curriculums for child care teachers at universities and colleges in Korea. To accomplish this, a survey was implemented to gather the lists of courses from each department training pre-service child care teachers. A total of 225 departments at universities and colleges across Korea participated in the survey. The results showed that the 37 different courses offered for child-care teacher licensure were different by school type (university or college) and major. Departments in colleges with specific majors such as early childhood education and social welfare offer courses that are also required for other certificates, including kindergarten teachers or social workers, so pre-service child care teachers may not have the opportunity to take courses specifically designed for their specific teaching needs or interests. Accordingly, there may be a restricted number of courses from which to choose during pre-service training periods. Based on the findings from this study, several political implications for improving child-care teacher professionalism were suggested.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.897-915
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual conditions and characteristics of weekly and daily child care programs for infants, to provide a basis for the improvement of infant care quality. Weekly and daily curricula of 18 classes for one and two-year-olds classes (9 for each ages) from childcare centers in D city were collected from Nov. 2009 to February 2010. The results are as following: first, classes for one-year-olds plan 6-25 activities and classes for two-year-olds plan 12-30 activities weekly, with differences in the number of weekly activities according to the childcare centers. The number of weekly activities should be planned considering infants' interest as well as educational continuity of the activities. Second, the investigation of daily activities showed that the routine activities planned for one-year-olds were for total of 310-600 minutes and for two-year-olds 310-540 minutes. Among these, on average of 66% of the time was planned for everyday life such as eating and napping. The rest of time was dedicated to indoor and outdoor free play. However a few centers allocated more time for group activities according to subjects compared to free play. A curriculum composed of group activities ignoring infants' individual developmental differences should not be encouraged. Last, the results of cluster analyses on weekly and daily curricula in terms of the number of activities and time, duration, number of group activities and time showed that curricula for infants could be characterized into two types: "free play" and "group activity" curricula.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.93-110
• /
• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the early childhood education teacher's ability to implement play-centered curriculum that is recognized by an early childhood education expert based on an analysis of focus group interviews. Methods: Two professors of early childhood education, two directors of daycare centers, and two early childhood education teachers participated in the focus group interview. The interview was conducted three times. The interviewed data were categorized and compared. Results: The action competence of the play-centered curriculum required for early childhood teachers were categorized into the following categories; comprehending play, recognizing play, and practicing child-centered play. Detailed factor competencies were required for understanding play, reflective thinking, reading play, recording play, playing like a child, and supporting play. Conclusion/Implications: For actualizing play-centered curriculum, early childhood education teachers needed to comprehend, recognize, and practice for child's play. Furthermore, we discussed the necessity and direction of teacher education to improve the teacher's action competence for play-centered curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.373-393
• /
• 2015

This study aimed to investigate the process of the national curriculum reforms in Finland since 1968. The history of Finnish educational system reform was firstly discussed in order to provide the background and context of the curriculum reforms from 1968 to the present for a deeper understanding of the Finnish curriculum reform processes. Secondly, I provided a contour of the history of Finnish curriculum reform, focusing on the development and revision of early childhood curriculum since the 2000s. Finally, the current Finnish national curriculum reform named the "2012-2016/7 National Core Curriculum Reform" was depicted in details: processes, participants, principles etc. In conclusion, the Finnish national curriculum reform processes provide lessons: long-term reform design, open reform process, and a variety of reform participants including beneficiaries of education and students, which were the ones who have been neglected so far in Korea. In short, the Finnish curriculum reform process can be considered a realization of democracy.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.12 no.5
• /
• pp.17-45
• /
• 2016

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a young children's happiness program in relation with the Nuri curriculum on young children's happiness and self-esteem. Study subjects included 37 children aged 5 (experimental group 20, comparative group 17) enrolled in A day care center and D day care center located in K district, Seoul. As for the research procedure, an experiment was conducted 48 times in 18 weeks, and the experimental group carried out the children's happiness program linked with the Nuri curriculum. In contrast, the comparative group conducted general activities focusing on the subjects according to the Nuri curriculum. Study results show that there was a significant difference amongst 9 sub-domains related to young children's happiness (health, emotion, immersion, recognition and achievement, parent-child relationship, teacher-child relationship, peer relationship, spirituality, life satisfaction) and 3 sub-domains related to self-esteem (start and spirit of independence, sociality emotionality, academic achievement). Results of this study prove that the children's happiness program in relation with the Nuri curriculum is effective for increasing young children's happiness and self-esteem, and could be used as preliminary data for the possibility of a happiness program in early childhood education settings and happiness education in the future.