Yeon Seung Lee

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 5-6, 2009

Jeong Yoon Kwon

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 7-17, 2009

This study reviews the definition of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and describes the educational applications of ESD in school systems of the United Kingdom and the United States. Since the 1987 Brundtland Report introduced the concept of sustainable development, emphasizing the connection between environmental pollution and long-term development in the world, many countries agreed that education factors are essential in order to build a sustainable society for our future. Among the countries that incorporated education for sustainable development in all levels of the school system since 2002, the United Kingdom has taken concrete educational objects and set a national framework for sustainable schools. The United States made K-12 student learning standards for sustainable development and has supported schools and communities. Educators reinforced that education for sustainable development should be started in early years because of its relevance to early childhood pedagogies, such as learning through hands-on experiences, theme-based or project-based learning, child-centered approach, holistic learning, and parental and community involvement.

Education for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Schools, Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Development

An Na Cho

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 19-35, 2009

The purpose of this paper is to identify factors as they relate to or how they affect the depressive symptomatology of young children. The current literature review examines the negative effects of several factors thought to be of high risks for the occurrence of childhood depression: maternal depression, insecure attachment, and low economic resources. After investigating empirical research, the results suggest strategies to cope with depressive symtomatology of children. This study will help parents, educators, and communities better understand children`s vulnerability to depression and consider support young children in a positive way.

Childhood Depression, Maternal Depression, Insecure Attachment, Low Economic Resources

Yoo Seon Bang

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 37-63, 2009

Over the past decade there has been increased attention to the topic of parental involvement in school. However, little research has examined Korean American parents` involvement in the U.S. This study examined the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and Korean American parents of parental involvement in a U.S. public kindergarten. Through the in-depth interviews, observations, and school documents, this study showed that there was perceptional disparity regarding parental involvement between the school personnel and the Korean American parents. While all the participants regardless of their positions supported the significance of parental involvement, the perceptional gap has been revealed regarding the meaning and expected types of parental involvement between the two groups. Moreover, the school personnel were fully satisfied with their current provision of the parent involvement program without much consideration of the barriers or needs that the Korean American parents faced in their participation. Thus, the findings of this study suggest that it is critical for teachers and administrators to recognize the possible struggles and disadvantages that Korean American parents and other minority parents might experience in their schools and make conscious efforts to respond to the needs of minority parents.

Parental Involvement, Kindergarten, Korean Parents

Ji Won Kim

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 65-85, 2009

This study explored the meaning of school readiness of Korean mothers in lower and higher socioeconomic status (SES) communities through the qualitative case study method. For the research, 21 Korean mothers from two kindergartens placed in two different SES communities in Seoul, Korea, participated. This study found that the meaning of school readiness among Korean mothers involved academic and social preparation. On a daily basis, more emphasis was placed on academic preparation than social preparation. The meanings of school readiness for the Korean mothers were deeply constituted within and constituted Korea`s social and cultural contexts such as education fever, private education and early education in the society. Some differences were found between two groups of mothers in terms of the meaning of school readiness. Two groups of mothers had different standards for extracurricular education in relation to school readiness. This study also confirmed the significance of the ready school and the ready community in relation to children`s school readiness. As for the ready school, the higher SES mothers were most concerned about quality of teachers in the school, while the lower SES mothers were concerned more about school violence including the Wangdda (Socially rejected or an outcast in a group) problem in Korean schools.

School readiness, Case Study, SES, Social construction, Social capital

Mi Hyang Ryu

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 87-109, 2009

With the data from the National Center for Early Development and Learning Multi-State Pre-Kindergarten Study, the relationship between the characteristics of program, classroom, and teachers and classroom quality was examined in this study. Classroom quality was measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the Emerging Academics Snapshot (Snapshot). The sample consisted of 227 pre-k teachers in state funded programs from six states in the US. The percentage of children from low-income families in the classroom and the number of children with limited English proficiency (LEP) were found to be statistically significant predictors of classroom process quality. These findings were discussed with regard to the need for more in-depth thinking about research on the relationship of structural quality and process quality in early childhood classrooms. The Snapshot was eliminated from the analyses because of low means and limited variances. In contrast to some literature, teacher qualification variables were not statistically significant predictors in this study. This was discussed with regard to the need for consistent definitions and measures of teacher qualifications and teacher training.

classroom quality, process quality, state-funded pre-k, teacher qualifications

Mi Ai Kim

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 111-132, 2009

This qualitative study explored Korean child care teachers` experiences and their understandings of their work. Interviews and email conversations were conducted from five child care teachers to gain in-depth descriptions of their work. Findings indicated that five child care teachers had strong professional identities as teachers rather than caregivers. Teachers possessed binary conceptions of their work in terms of care and education but also recognized the paradox produced by public perceptions and their own personal understandings of their work. In order to cope with these contradictions, these teachers interpreted their care giving activities as teaching, focused on performing educational activities, and utilized professional knowledge of child development as expertise. Factors that shape these child care teachers` professional identities and the ways they construct the meaning of their work are discussed. Implications of the research findings for teacher educators, policy makers, and researchers are also discussed.

Child Care Teachers, Child Care Work, Professional Identity, Care and Education

Hae Soon Chang , Mi Sun Song , Yune Jeong Choi

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 133-156, 2009

The objective of this study was to investigate the administrative body controlling teacher qualification, or the Office of Teacher Certification Management (hereafter OTCM), which has been identified as the main challenge in unifying the separate qualification systems of early childhood education professionals. For this purpose, this study examined the perceptions of teachers in kindergartens and day care centers as well as professors in relevant academic disciplines on the OTCM branches. The professionals` perceptions were measured in a survey, the questionnaire for which included 23 items regarding service satisfaction, previous visitation, inconvenience, and accessability of the OTCM. The questionnaire was constructed based on pretest data collected from 10 respondents in each of the professor, kindergarten teacher, and child-care center teacher groups. The questionnaires were either hand-distributed or distributed by electronic mail to professionals selected randomly from Seoul and Kyunggi Province. Out of 280 samples, 225 were usable returns. The subjects of the research were selected among the teachers in kindergartens and child-care centers, and professors and instructors in two- to four-year colleges. The questionnaire consists of three parts; (a) subject`s perception of the OTCM for kindergarten teachers, (b) subject`s perception of the OTCM for child-care center teachers, and (c) subject`s perception on the division of the OTCM into those two branches. The research data were analyzed in terms of frequency, percentage, and a chi-square (Χ2) test was used. The .001 level of significance was chosen for all analyses. In conclusion, teacher groups in both kindergartens and child-care centers were under informed about the OCTM branches. For an effective early childhood education and care policy, the unification of the divided OCTM is called for.

Teacher`s Certification Management, Early Childhood Professionals, Qualified Teachers, Kindergarten and Child-care Center

Hey Jun Ahn

DOI: Vol.15(No.1) 157-174, 2009

Emotion regulation is increasingly being recognized as significant components of children`s social competence that prepare them to establish prosocial interactions with others. Children, who are able to demonstrate appropriate emotion regulation and expressive behaviors when they encounter emotional experiences, are more successful in their relationships with their peers. Although the importance of emotion regulation is getting attention from the public, the definition of emotion regulation, how infants and preschoolers develop this regulatory ability and how parents and teachers influence emotion regulation deserves more attention. The purpose of this review paper is to answer the questions of how researchers have conducted studies on young children`s regulation of emotions and what they have identified as factors of individual differences in infants and preschoolers. The current literature on parental role in facilitating children`s regulatory ability as well as teachers` practices in the early childhood classroom will be reviewed. The results of research in the classroom setting can provide teachers awareness that their own behaviors and reactions to children`s expressions of emotions are important in children`s emotional development, and valuable suggestions for teachers` practices regarding children`s emotional development can be proposed.

Regulation of emotions, Emotional Development, Socialization of emotion