• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.115-131
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• 2017

Objective: This study aimed to examine the status of South Korean unification education for young children by reviewing Nuri curriculum developed by the Korean government. Method: Literature review was adopted in order to analyze the contents of the Nuri curriculum teachers'manuals under the areas and elements of unification education. Results: Unification education has been designed to accelerate unification, to promote the values and attitudes toward the unification of the two Koreas, and to prepare for the post-unification period. This education can be categorized into specific areas: democratic community, democratic citizenship, peacekeeping and multiculturalism. These areas account for 24.24% of the total contents in the Teachers'Manual of the Nuri curriculum. The percentage of the contents helpful to understand North Korea and unification, however, is merely 0.25% of the total contents, and the elements are not fairly balanced. Such content coverage of the teacher's manuals for kindergartens is 2.83% higher than that for preschools. Conclusion/Implications: The implications of this analysis include that the elements of unification education should take a more balanced approach with more integrated and broader coverage. The elements also need to be revised so that both kindergarteners and preschoolers can get access to unification education of the same quality.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-50
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop an early childhood teacher's autonomy scale in the implementation of the Early Childhood Curriculum and to verify its validity and reliability. Methods: A literature review and a delphi survey were conducted in order to explore conceptual characteristics and develop a preliminary questionnaire. A main survey was conducted on 375 early childhood teacher to test their item quality, validity and reliability. Results: The final scale was composed of 24 items with four factors: 'support for child-centered play environment and interaction' (7 items), 'use of learning community' (4 items), 'cooperation and participation with family and local community' (6 items), and 'flexible daily management' (7 items). And the scale was verified as a stable and reliable tool. Conclusion/Implications: This is expected to contribute to the correct understanding of children's education and to actively realize the autonomy of early childhood teachers in the implementation of the Early Childhood Curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

Objective: A teacher learning community was developed in order to implement a play-centered curriculum at a child care center, and teachers' experiences during the process were explored. Methods: The teacher learning community was carried out for a total of 23 sessions. One researcher and six teachers participated in this study. Data including the transcripts of recordings of the teacher learning community, transcripts of individual teachers' interview recordings, teachers' reflective journals, and social media posts were collected. Data were analyzed according to the qualitative data analysis procedure. Results: The teachers recognized their experiences of the teacher learning community as follows: (1) encouraging and empowering each other to find a way together, (2) self-reflection, communication and sharing with experiences, (3) becoming a teacher who practices change. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study show the importance and effectiveness of managing the teacher learning community in a way that teachers interact with each other in a collaborative manner within the community based on initiative and spontaneity, and to provide help to each other in the process of understanding and practicing the play-centered curriculum. The teacher learning community supports the professionalism of teachers for the practice of a play-centered curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.147-164
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• 2014

This study aims at analyzing 6 OECD countries' (Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, England, South Korea) national early childhood care and education curriculum (framework) based on the perspectives of its implementation. Its design and development always focus on how the national early childhood education and care curriculum will be applied in the early childhood settings in a correct and faithful way. As a result, teachers are considered the user or deliverer of the national curriculum rather than the one who interprets it and construct their own curriculum in accordance with their students. Five OECD countries which have achieved an integrated system between early education and care systems, take the constructive view of designing and applying the national curriculum. Accordingly, a national early childhood education and care curriculum within an integrated system should be developed in Korea, in order to accept the constructive view of curriculum development and application.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.19-38
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• 2022

Objective: The goal of this study is to develop an instrument for measuring the quality of teacher support for children's play (age 3-5) based on the Play Practice Resources for Teachers presented in the 2019 revised Nuri Curriculum. Methods: The subjects of this study were 333 early childhood educators. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as correlation analysis were all performed to confirm construct validity and concurrent validity. The reliability of each factor was verified using Cronbach's alpha. Results: The Preschool Teacher Play Support Scale (PTPSS) was finalized with 25 items, which included the following four sub-factors: interaction, play materials, play space, and play safety. The concurrent validity was also confirmed through significant correlations between the existing measures such as the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, the Teaching Efficacy Scale for Play, and the Teacher-Toddler Interaction Scale. The reliability of each factor was also desirable. Conclusion/Implications: The PTPSS was verified as a sound measure quantifying the play support behavior of teachers who respect the autonomy and initiative of young children which is being pursued by the 2019 revised Nuri Curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.87-117
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to develop a documentation model that can support early chlildhood learning through play and facilitate the implementation of early childhood and play-oriented curriculum. Methods: This study utilized the design and development research methodology to derive components for the model through literature review and investigation research. In addition, the model was gradually improved through the 3rd expert review, and the validity of the model was verified through usability evaluation with 10 early childhood teachers. Results: This study identified 13 components and developed a flexible, selective, repetitive, and cyclic documentation model based on the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum. Model development is embodied and presented as a model-detailed model-detailed content. The model is presented in detail in the study. Conclusion/Implications: The documentation model developed in this study is expected to provide guidance to early childhood teachers and serve as a basis for future research on documentation in early childhood education. It is expected that it will be able to present the practical direction of records for play support for teachers in the field.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.253-272
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to supplement the NURI Curriculum by investigating the practicing level of the NURI Curriculum for 5-year olds according to the demographic backgrounds of early childhood teachers. The subjects of this study were 201 early childhood teachers who work at kindergartens and child care centers located in Gyeonggi Province and were in charge of 5-year olds. The instrument used was a questionnaire measuring the practicing level of the NURI Curriculum. The results of this study were as follows. First, the practicing level of the NURI Curriculum for 5-year olds generally showed high scores. A total average of 3.24 on a 4 scale was found. In each case, educational contents have the highest score, 3.40, and educational evaluation has the lowest score, 3.03. Secondly, teachers' age, teaching career and educational background had an affect on the practicing level of the NURI Curriculum for 5-year olds, but their certificate and institution type did not. That is, the higher the teachers' age, teaching career and educational background, the higher the practicing level of the NURI Curriculum for 5-year olds.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.318-326
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in toddler teachers' perception and application of the contents of the Standard Educare Curriculum. The participants of this study were 205 toddler teachers in charge of two-year-old children at childcare centers in Jollanamdo. For the survey, a questionnaire was prepared for the purposes of this study based on the contents of the $3^{rd}$ Standard Educare Curriculum. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 through frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, paired sample t test, independent sample t test, F test, and Duncan's post hoc test. The results are as follows. First, toddler teachers' perception of the contents of the National Standard Educare Curriculum was high, and the level of understanding was higher than when their academic degree was high. Second, toddler teachers' application of the contents of the Standard Educare Curriculum was relatively high. Third, there was a significant difference between toddler teachers' perception of the contents of the Standard Educare Curriculum and their actual application of the contents.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.249-272
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• 2014

The purpose of this research is to investigate the differences between early childhood teacher's perception and implementation of the composition direction and details of 5 criteria of "Nuri curriculum by age for 3 to 5 year-olds". As basic research data, this research is to contribute to understand the actual needs of on-spot teacher training, in the early implementation stage of Nuri curriculum, and to be used as basic data to effectively support and execute teacher training, so that "Nuri curriculum by age for 3 to 5 year-olds" can settle as educational basis of stable educational policy in the future. This research used PASW 18.0 program to analyze the difference of early childhood teachers' perception and implementation about Nuri curriculum. Results of this study were as follows; First, the general trend of early childhood teachers' perception and implementation was analyzed by average and standard deviation. Second, to see the difference between perception and implementation of Nuri curriculum for the entire group of early childhood teachers surveyed, matching sample t-test was used.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.101-126
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation experiences of the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 of early childhood education teachers and special education teachers at inclusive child care and education centers. Methods: Individual interviews with 14 teachers at seven inclusive settings in Seoul were conducted. The collected data were transcribed, and six categories and 42 sub-themes in early childhood education teachers and six categories and 37 sub-themes in special education teachers were derived through qualitative-comparative content analysis. Results: The teacher in-service education conducted prior to the implementation of the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 gave substantial aid in the applied practices of cases. The perceptions of teachers related to the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 were heightened. The inclusive settings had been changed according to the principles of play, case, and children's interest. As the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 progressed, children also changed. The implementation of the 「2019 revised Nuri program」 allowed the positive and the negative experiences to coexist at the inclusive settings. For the successful implementation of the 「2019 revised Nuri curriculum」 , calls for the improvement of the child care and education center and national level must be stressed. Conclusion/Implications: Based on the results, discussions and recommendations were presented to solve the difficulties.