Mi-kyung Kim

DOI: Vol.21(No.2) 1-18, 2015

The purpose of this study was to assess the development of science teaching efficacy belief, attitudes toward science, and science teaching in Korean pre-service teachers through EIMA-centered scientific inquiry. The results of this study can be summarized into two takeaways: firstly, pre-service teachers successfully increased their Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy (STOE) through EIMA-Centered Scientific Inquiry; and secondly, according to their Science Autobiography Essays, pre-service teachers had many negative experiences in science and had negative attitudes toward science and science teaching. Using Exploring Observation Journals, and Balloon Car Journals, however, pre-service teachers became less negative about science and began to recognize the value of including inquiry and EIMA scientific modeling in early childhood classrooms as a way to help children maintain their curiosity about science.

pre-service teacher, science teaching efficacy, science attitude, scientific inquiry

Eojin Hwang , Nak-heung Kim

DOI: Vol.21(No.2) 19-38, 2015

This study is a qualitative research exploring the conflicts, difficulties and positive changes that fathers of young children with disabilities experience while raising their children. Its main objectives are to enhance our understanding of fathers of young children with disabilities whose lives have long been overlooked and to provide foundational work that can be utilized to promote support programs that may improve these fathers’ quality of life. To achieve such objectives, three individual in-depth interviews were conducted with each of four fathers of young children with disabilities. After performing data analysis, the first highest category of the study, the conflicts and difficulties experienced by the fathers, included ‘conflicts and difficulties in relation to physical challenges, family relationships and social challenges.’ Positive changes, the second highest category on the other hand, included ‘feelings of gratitude towards family members, empathy and gratitude towards others, and caring for the socially weak.’ Based on the findings, the study discussed numerous efforts that must be made in order to establish effective support policies for families with young children with disabilities specially emphasizing fathers and their development.

fathers of young children with disabilities, conflicts and difficulties, positive changes, family support

Hyun Young Kang

DOI: Vol.21(No.2) 39-64, 2015

The purpose of this study is to explore everyday large group meeting interactions in the preschool classroom. The data were collected over a five and a half month period in one preschool classroom, using an ethnographic research approach. The ethnographic research was mainly based on a socio-cultural theoretical orientation, an understanding that the nature of children’s classroom experiences is socially constructed in the course of everyday life. Multiple methods were used to gather data, including participant observation, field notes, interviews with teachers, and video recordings of classroom interaction during large group meeting time. In this preschool classroom, the large group meeting time, Morning Meeting, consisted of five sub-events. Along with the typical ritual-like characteristics of some sub-events (i.e., calendar/weather), the sub-event of “large group conversation/talk” was a context in which various types of group interaction between the children and teacher could be observed, which allowed the large group time, Morning Meeting, not to proceed in one fixed manner in this classroom. Through micro-level analysis of the data, four different types/purposes of interaction could be identified. The “large group conversation/talk” subevent in this classroom was: 1) a context for individuals to share personal stories, news, and artifacts that they had brought from home with the large group; 2) a context for the teacher to make announcements about upcoming events to the group; 3) a context for making group meaning of various child-initiated and teacher-initiated topics through collaborative and extensive group conversation; and 4) a context for teacher-directed interaction on certain topicsthat the teacher chose to introduce to the children. Along with the typical ritual-like characteristics of some subevents (i.e., calendar/weather), the preschool large group meeting time served as an interactive context for the children and teacher to engage in meaning making of a socially constructed nature through their large group interaction. The complex nature of large group interaction was revealed through analysis of the children’s and teacher’s actual interaction during Morning Meeting events.

ethnographic research, early childhood classroom, large group meeting time, preschool classroom interaction

Eunhye Park , Hong-ju Jun

DOI: Vol.21(No.2) 65-87, 2015

In providing young children with literacy experiences, the teacher’s role is critical. In order to understand the beliefs and practices of early childhood teachers in a Korean context, in which children’s literacy is considered a key aspect of school readiness, 419 early childhood teachers across Korea were selected to complete a questionnaire. Differences associated with the teachers’ demographic variables, including types of early childhood setting, geographic region, teaching experiences, teacher qualifications, and educational training majors, were analyzed. The findings indicate that early childhood teachers in Korea strongly believe in emergent literacy approaches and practice such methods more frequently than reading readiness approaches. While no significant difference in beliefs related to the teachers’ demographic variables was found, differences were found in practices related to type of early childhood setting, teacher qualifications, and educational training majors. The results imply a need for discussion of alternative perspectives on early literacy that may better fit the Korean context.

early literacy, teachers` beliefs and practices, early childhood education in Korea

Hwewon Kim , Taein Kim

DOI: Vol.21(No.2) 89-109, 2015

This paper compares pre-service early childhood teachers in Korea to those in the United States due to the main differences in their supervising systems and duration of fieldwork. This study thus consisted of a survey wherein 67 Korean and American pre-service teachers in early childhood programs examined the challenges they had faced, as well as the support they received during fieldwork and focus group interviews, in order to suggest alternative methods. When compared to American preservice teachers, Korean pre-service teachers had far more difficulties interacting with young children and building a positive relationship with their mentor teachers. In terms of support and cooperation between the university, the mentor teacher, and the student teacher, there are huge differences between Korean and American programs. The findings of this study thus have various implications for practice, research, and policy.

early childhood education, pre-service teacher, challenge, support, comparison study