• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.221-239
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• 2013

This study examines teacher-teacher conflicts in childcare centers, specifically the causes of conflicts and the process of resolution through in-depth interviews in order to provide suggestions for positive conflict resolution. The subjects of the interviews were five working childcare center teachers, and each subject was interviewed three to four times between September 7th and October 4th in 2011. The result of the interview indicates that childcare center teachers perceive the following to be causes of the conflict: hierarchical relationship among teachers; lack of social skills; differences in personal values and educational philosophy; and uncooperative behaviors of teachers. Moreover, each teacher's eagerness to improve relationships and capacity to make appropriate judgment had positive and negative effects on the relationship with colleagues. In sum, childcare center teachers experienced various conflicts between fellow teachers and recognized the importance of sustaining positive relationships through conflicts as well as through the process of conflict resolution.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.219-237
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• 2020

Objective: The research aimed to help understand the lives of those living in today's Korean society by analyzing the positionality of experienced childcare teachers, and to obtain relevant policy implications. Methods: The participants were 111 childcare teachers with more than seven years of job experience. The metaphors expressing themselves were collected and implemented the metaphor analysis in terms of positionality. Results: First, the participants who recognized themselves as experts were positioned as teachers who cared for and taught children, as co-learners with children, and as leaders of junior teachers. Second, the participants who recognized themselves as minorities were positioned as non-subjects, and as oppressed persons who had to obey in the lower levels of the organizational system of childcare centers. Third, the participants who recognized themselves as marginal persons were positioned as problem solvers, and as border-crossers who conflict and adjust in complex relationships. Conclusion/Implications: Based on the results, the following policy suggestions were made. First, policies must be expressed in public language that respect childcare teachers as a key worker in society; second, the job policies must be shifted toward employment security of childcare teachers. Third, substantial support for labor costs for childcare teachers should be expanded.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2021

Objective: The researchers aimed to explore the 'what' and the 'how' of childcare consulting. This study was focused on finding out how child care teachers perceived the process of implementing childcare consulting and their thoughts about the transformation of childcare consulting based on their participating experience. Methods: This study was based on the transverse-continuous design using qualitative research methodology. The participants were eight experienced childcare teachers that were childcare consulting in 2015 or 2020. The data were collected through in-depth interviews. Results: The main findings in exploring meanings and implications of childcare consulting were as follows. First, childcare consulting was recognized as a process of learning about changes through mutual relationships. Second, the different ways to practice childcare consulting, the formation of the learning culture of an organization to help experience collective intelligence, the process of finding various solutions through mutual communication, and the improvement of childcare teachers' professional capabilities while reflecting the current times and context were all investigated. Conclusion/Implications: Given the findings of the study, the importance of childcare consulting, and the ways to establish its systems were discussed.

• 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.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.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.175-185
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of teachers' demographic and sociological characteristics and the emotional support of the director and co-worker on the childcare efficacy of infant teachers. Methods: In this study, 169 Infant teachers of childcare centers have participated, where are located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Areas. The data was analyzed by using t-test and one way ANOVA to confirm the differences among groups, and also correlations analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed to analyze the interrelationship between variables and their effects. Results: Study outcome according to study subjects is as follows. First, we found a statistically meaningful difference in marital status and career by the differences of childcare efficacy depending on demographic and sociological characteristics of infant teachers. Second, childcare efficacy of infant teachers showed the most evident correlationship with co-workers support followed by the director's support. Third, the data also revealed that childcare efficacy of infant teachers was influenced by co-workers' support, their careers, marital status and their directors' support in order. Conclusion/Implications: In conclusion, higher levels of childcare efficacy were shown by the experienced and married early childhood teachers and the emotional support of co-workers has the greatest influence on their childcare efficacy.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.73-92
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• 2021

Objective: This study examined the relationships among social support in the workplace, social support outside the workplace, child care teachers' psychological burnout, and teacher-child interactions. Methods: The subjects of this study were 262 child care teachers and they responded to questionnaires on research variables. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: First, social support outside the workplace had a direct effect on teacher-child interactions; that is, child care teachers, who perceived that they received a high level of social support outside the workplace, had high-quality interactions with children. Second, social support in the workplace had an indirect effect on teacher-child interactions through child care teachers' psychological burnout. In other words, child care teachers, who perceived that they received a high level of social support in the workplace, experienced less psychological burnout, which led to high-quality interactions with children. Conclusion/Implications: This study confirmed that the paths in which social support in the workplace and social support outside the workplace influence teacher-child interactions were different. Although the pathways were different, the results of this study emphasize that both types of social support are important factors that promote teacher-child interactions.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.97-104
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• 2015

In this study, the investigator distributed total 100 questionnaires by childcare center teachers in final analysis. The purposes of the study were to examine teachers' perceptions of early childhood music education provided by childcare centers or kindergartens and also the difficulties they experienced with the instruction of early childhood music education and thus provide basic data to develop an educational program for early childhood teachers and search for a direction in early childhood music education in the field of education. The findings were summarized as follows: Both kindergarten and childcare center teachers showed a high perception level of need for and importance of early childhood music education. The teachers thought that early childhood music education facilitated the development of young children across all areas and promoted their pleasure and expressive abilities. Providing music education, the teachers faced difficulties due to the lack of musical knowledge, basic musical skills, and experiences with and confidence in musical activities. They also felt a need for teacher education.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.227-248
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contents of pre-service early childhood teacher's practicum experience in kindergartens and child care centers through the analysis of practice teaching journals. The subjects of this study were a total 52 practice teaching journals of 26 pre-service early childhood teachers who completed their practicum in kindergartens and child care centers. This study analyzed the type of teaching practice management, the type of activities, and the contents of journal writings. The findings are as follows; First, pre-service teachers experienced a similar ratio of the type of teaching practice management in both types of teaching practice. Second, pre-service teachers performed more group activities in practicum in kindergartens, but more choice activities in practicum in child care centers. Third, the journal writing contents of pre-service teachers in both types of teaching practice mainly addressed the operating of educational and child care activities, and the execution of observing young children. But some categories of teacher's competency were hardly addressed. The results of this study could be used as basic data for designing early childhood practicum programs.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.47-69
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine teaching competency for character education of early childhood teachers and their demands to improve their capacities. 152 kindergarten and child care teachers responded to 30 survey questionnaires, which included 3 sub-factors(commutative, practical, instrumental) of teaching competency for character education of the teachers, as well as 16 detailed components, designed to check their current competency for character education and to investigate the priority elements that they desired to improve. The data were analyzed based on the Borich request formula, the locus for focus model, and the independent sample t-test across the teacher groups. The results were as follows: Firstly, the most highly demanded teaching competency by the teachers was using tools interactively for character education. And the teachers, among the sub-elements, requested (a) recording and evaluating character education systematically, (b) using local or national resources, (c) planning member's participation, and (d) performing character education related activities systematically. Secondly, more new teachers demanded instrumental competency and answered the need of parents' participation among the sub-elements, more than the more experienced teachers, respectively. The study discussed the implications of promoting early childhood teachers' teaching competency for character education.