• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.59-85
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of child care teachers' emotional supports in individual classrooms on children's social skills, including self-control, assertion, cooperation, and responsibility that were related to their character development. Data were collected in a purposive sample involving 32 teachers working with 646 children at age five and 555 parents of the children. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to analyze a two-level model. The results showed that there were significant differences among classes with data reported by teachers but characteristics such as teachers' education and work experiences, child-teacher ratio, and type of child care centers as well as teacher's emotional supports did not explain the differences. Children's age and gender, which were predictors at the individual level, significantly explained their level of social skills reported by parents as well as teachers. The findings implied that other predictors influencing differences among classes should be explored in future studies.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.119-132
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting experiences of mothers of disabled children. The study focused on how mothers of disabled children prepared for their children's transition to elementary school and how they experienced their children's adjustment to school. Twenty mothers of children with developmental or intellectual disabilities participated in the study. Each mother had experienced an inclusive education program at an elementary school for more than a year. Twelve mothers have children with intellectual disabilities and eight have children with developmental disabilities. Individual in-depth interviews were carried out to collect qualitative data. To analyze the data, the research followed the phenomenological analysis method of Giorgi. The results showed that mothers of disabled children were actively involved with inclusive day care centers and therapy programs to prepare for children elementary school. Most wished to send their children to a general elementary school with an inclusive program, although decision making was not easy. When their children entered elementary school, some mothers observed their children's struggle with school and their peer relationships. They sought support from teachers and other mothers. These mothers showed a desire for their children's social independence. This study highlighted the necessity to develop support programs for disabled children and their mothers.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.71-94
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• 2007

To examine the parenting experiences of North Korean parents in South Korea, seven parents(a father, a grandmother and five mothers) were interviewed about their parenting beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. It was found that parents from North Korea felt a safe existence including safety from hunger in South Korea but they were afraid of the many cars and unfamiliar diseases in South Korea. They had many difficulties with unfamiliar child rearing practices and parental roles in South Korea. Their confusion about good parenting was compounded by psychological and physical after-effects of the escape from their native country. They found help in adjusting to parenting in South Korea by such social networks as child care centers.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.85-103
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• 2022

Objective: This study examined five- to six-year-old children's categorization of mixed-race faces and how it was affected by perceptual individuation training (PIT) for other-races. Methods: Sixty-five children attending classes for 5-year-olds in childcare centers were shown happy and angry faces of Korean and African American mixed-race people, along with neutral faces of Korean and African American monoracial people. They were asked to categorize the faces into same-race or other-race. After the pretest, participants received a PIT for either African American (other-race) or monkeys. Then the racial categorization task was administered again as a posttest. Results: Children showed no general tendency to categorize mixed-race faces as out-group in the pretest. Yet, the PITs further reduced children's categorization of mixed-race faces as out-group. In particular, the effect was clearly evident in children who received the PIT for other-race. Conclusion/Implications: The results suggest that the tendency to categorize mixed-race faces as an out-group may not be evident in early childhood and that experiences of perceptually identifying other-race individuals may help children view mixed-race individuals as being in the ingroup, at least perceptually.