• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.99-114
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• 2020

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a walking program developed by applying the flow learning method in order to improve children's attitude toward nature and their empathy ability among other five-year-olds. Methods: A total of 49 five-year-olds attending classes at two kindergartens located in B city participated in this study. There were 24 children in the comparative group and 25 children in the experimental group. Before and after the program, all participants individually took a child's nature-friendly attitude test and rated their empathy ability with a teacher. Using the SPSS 25.0 version program, data were analyzed by conducting means, standard deviation, t-test, and ANCOVA(Analysis of Covariance). Results: Children who participated in the walking program using flow learning showed significantly higher nature-friendly attitudes than those of the comparative group. And empathy abilities in the experimental group were higher than in the comparative group in all areas. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study suggest that a walking program applying flow learning is effective in improving young children's nature-friendly attitude and their empathy abilities.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.41-62
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• 2018

Objective: This study employed a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of the Respected Parents & Respected Children(RPRC) parent education program developed for working mothers of dual-income families with young children. Methods: A total of 32 working mothers were randomly assigned to two groups, an intervention group (n = 16) and a control group (n = 16). Mothers in the intervention group participated in the parent education program. After the termination of the program, differences between the pretest and posttest in terms of mothers'parenting behaviors, parenting efficacy and parental role satisfaction were compared in both groups. Results: Mothers in the intervention group were significantly improved in their parenting behaviors and parenting efficacy, whereas mothers in the control group did not show any significant differences between pretest and posttest scores. However, there was no significant difference in parental role satisfaction between the intervention group and the control group. Conclusion/Implications: These findings suggest that RPRC parent education program is effective in bringing about positive changes in working mothers'parenting confidence, which can be crucial for the future developmental outcomes of their children.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.123-153
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop an education program using music activities for promoting young children's creativity and personality and to analyze the impact of this program on the creativity and personality of young children in child care classrooms. Methods: The study consisted of how the creativity and personality education program using music activities for young children was developed and the impact of the program on 5-year-old children's creativity and personality. The experimental treatment was conducted on a total of 16 occasions for eight weeks. The data were collected through the preschooler Creativity test(K·CCTYC) and The Empathy Index for Children and Adolescents (IECA) and Skill Situation Measures were used to analyze the effects of experimental treatment with paired t-test. Results: First, the program had positive effects on fluency, flexibility, originality and imagination of creativity. Second, the program had positive effects on empathy ability and prosociality. Conclusion/Implications: The effectiveness of the creativity and personality education programs using music activities for promoting young children's creativity and personality and the ways to promote young children's creativity and personality in early childhood educations institutes were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.29-52
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• 2023

Objective: This research aims to examine the effect of a young children's engineering-focused STEAM program based on the project approach - a program that constructs components aligned with children's interests in their play through an engineering design process - on their scientific inquiry ability, mathematical problem-solving ability, and creativity. Methods: In this research, 42 five-year-old children from a public kindergarten in S district, I city, were randomly divided into experimental and comparative groups, each with 21 children. The engineering-focused STEAM program was conducted from April 18 to June 10, 2022, with the experimental group exploring the 'car' theme and the comparison group focusing on a different theme. The study employed an independent sample t-test and analysis of covariance(ANCOVA), using the pretest as a covariate to control variables. Results: The children-selected 'cars' themed engineering-focused STEAM program was effective in enhancing their scientific inquiry ability, mathematical problem-solving ability and creativity. Conclusion/Implications: The engineering-focused STEAM program, which emerges from young children's interesting daily play, had positive effects on enhancing their scientific inquiry ability, mathematical problem-solving ability, and creativity. This research can serve as fundamental data for developing education programs focused on engineering within the STEAM framework, guided by children's emergent play.

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

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.117-137
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a cyclical empathy model-based empathy enhancement program on young children's empathy, peer competence and emotional intelligence. Methods: A total of 40 subjects were selected for this study from 5-year-old children attending S Day Care Center located in Seoul, out of whom 20 were assigned to an experimental group and the remaining 20 to a comparative group (control group). The SPSS 21 statistical program was used to determine whether there was a significant difference between the two groups in the effectiveness of the program implementation. Results: There were statistically significant differences in the changes between the pre and post scores of the experimental group and the comparative group, which showed that the cyclical empathy model-based empathy enhancement program was effective for the young children's empathy, peer competence and emotional intelligence. Conclusion/Implications: This study suggests that if a young children's empathy enhancement program can be applied to child care sites to help the teachers in the field children can overcome empathy-related difficulties by themselves. This study also provides basic information in order to have meaningful educational experiences in young children's education institutions.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.211-224
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• 2021

Purpose: Obesity among children from low-income families is becoming a social problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an obesity prevention program that included physical activity, nutrition education, behavioral modification, and primary caregiver participation components among children from low-income families. Methods: The study analyzed a nonequivalent control group using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 77 children were recruited from six community childcare centers using purposive sampling. For the intervention group (n=40), the pretest was administered before the combined intervention program involving the participants' primary caregivers was conducted for 8 weeks. The posttest was conducted immediately after the program and again four weeks after the program. Results: Flexibility (F=4.64, p=.020), muscular endurance (F=11.22, p<.001), nutritional knowledge scores (F=4.79, p=.010), body image satisfaction scores (F=4.74, p=.012), and self-esteem scores (F=3.81, p=.029) showed significant differences and interactions between group and time for the intervention and control groups. Conclusion: Strategies to actively engage the primary caregivers of low-income families in children's obesity programs are needed. Obesity prevention programs for children based on the program in this study should be routinely developed, and continuing attention should be given to children from low-income families.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.155-183
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• 2020

Objective: In this study, we tried to verify the effects of program by constructing an effective maker education program that can cultivate the maker's capabilities through voluntary production activities by utilizing various technologies and tools. Methods: First, prior research on maker education and the station teaching strategy was considered, and interviews and surveys were conducted on prospective early childhood teachers in order to find out the degree of demand for maker education. The final program was finalized through verification of the contents validity. Results: The developed program was applied to a total of 49 prospective early childhood teachers (24 in the experimental group, 25 in the comparative group) attending U College, and it was found to be effective in enhancing convergence talent, education knowledge of early childhood teachers' technology, and self-directed learning skills. Conclusion/Implications: These findings show that the preliminary early childhood teacher maker education program using station teaching strategy has educational value that can be used as an effective teaching method in early childhood education.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a refugee education program for early childhood and apply it in daycare center settings to examine the reactions of children aged 5. Methods: Referring to Kemmis and McTaggart(1988) action research model, the refugee education program recommended by UNHCR, and linking it with the national Nuri-curriculum in Korea, a total of five sessions of a refugee education program for early childhood were developed and applied to 20 children aged 5. Results: The application of the preschool refugee education program resulted in positive changes in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects. These changes provided opportunities for early childhood to practice respect towards others, fostering a broader understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures. Conclusion/Implications: This study holds significance in contributing to the discourse on the necessity and direction of refugee education through the development and application of a refugee education program for early childhood. It is anticipated that this research will stimulate in-depth discussions on educational approaches that foster early childhood interest in global issues and cultivate a sense of global citizenship and attitude in the future.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.257-271
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data that is necessary for planning an adequate environment for various child-care activities and programs by recognizing the environmental characteristics of a group room, where children's activities take place. A survey was conducted of 257 childcare centers and 544 teachers all over the country, including only those of which that have opened after year 2000 with more than 20 children capacities. The survey period was from January 18th to 28th of 2010. The data was analyzed using SPSS WIN 15 software, calculating the data's frequency, percentage, $x^2$, multiple response analysis, F-test, and factor analysis. The results of this study led us to the following conclusions. 1) We would like to propose a group room space design varying by the room size, so that interesting and diverse activities can take place after taking account of the child's development and childcare centers program. 2) Group room space and facilities should be made of proper finishing materials, various materials with differing textures, and lighting for the kinds of childcare activities that gives various sensational experiences and comfortable feelings to the children. 3) Teachers with higher age and education tend to believe that child's competence and a homelike atmosphere are important factors in a group room environment.