Wen-feng Lai

DOI: Vol.29(No.1) 1-20, 2023

This study examined the characteristics of self-drawings by Taiwanese and Malaysian Chinese preschoolers. The 104 participants comprised four- and five-year-old Taiwanese (n = 54) and Malaysian Chinese (n = 50) children with comparable sociodemographic backgrounds. The self-drawings were analyzed quantitatively in three aspects: basic figure elements, emotional expression, and visual appearance. There were three primary findings: (1) regarding basic figure elements, the Taiwanese children were more likely to draw larger figures with more facial details; (2) regarding emotional expression, the Malaysian Chinese children were more likely to draw neutral emotion: and the Taiwanese children tended to draw positive emotion; (3) regarding visual appearance, the Taiwanese children emphasized on drawing more clothing items with more diverse colors, whereas the Malaysian Chinese children tended to draw more decorative accessories. The results are discussed in relation to the cultural differences in local values and conventions, and the implications of the results are proposed.

self-drawing, Taiwanese children, Malaysian Chinese children, cultural differences

Hoyong Jung

DOI: Vol.29(No.1) 21-34, 2023

The current literature indicates that the childcare center environment greatly influences toddlers’ development. Expanding on the existing studies, this article examines the effects of a specific type of childcare center-home-based childcare centers-on toddlers’ language development using the case of South Korea. Considering that toddlers tend to attend childcare centers near their homes and that the distribution of childcare centers varies by region, this study exploits the ratio of home-based childcare centers to the total population of toddlers by region as an instrumental variable. The results demonstrate that home-based childcare centers positively affect toddlers’ language development as measured with the Receptive-Expressive Vocabulary Test. These effects are heterogeneous according to gender, mother's employment status, birth order, and household income. Our findings suggest that sponsoring home-based childcare centers and supporting household access to childcare centers may be effective for improving children's development and supporting new families in a modern society where dual-income couples are becoming more common and the birth rate is low.

childcare center, child development, instrument variable, South Korea

Boo-young Lim , Youn Jung Huh , Haesung Im , Vickie E. Lake , Seung-ryoul Lim

DOI: Vol.29(No.1) 35-55, 2023

This study explores the views of Myanmar parents on the home math environment for their young children in Myanmar, Korea, and the U.S. Previous research has focused on understanding parental practices within Western contexts, yet studies have shown that cultural factors may influence parents' views on the home math environment. The participants comprised of two parents respectively from Myanmar, Korea, and the United States. By utilizing a survey, individual interviews, video recordings of math activities, and reflective video interviews, this study revealed that most Myanmar parents perceived preschool education as the primary avenue for teaching their children mathematics and overlooked the value of home-based learning as a valuable resource. Additionally, these parents seldom considered their role in supporting their children's mathematical development at home. The study highlights the significance of comprehending parents' implicit views regarding providing a conducive home math environment before analyzing their actual practices.

home math environment, comparative, Myanmar parents

Song Yi Moon , Seung-ha Lee

DOI: Vol.29(No.1) 57-82, 2023

This study explored the role of young children’s self-regulation as a mediator between maternal parenting and children’s peer competence. The study was conducted on 327 young children and their mothers enrolled in kindergartens and preschools in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. The data were processed using the SPSS 26.0 program and Process Macro. The study’s findings yielded several important results. First, there was a significant correlation between maternal parenting behavior, children’s self-regulation, and children’s peer competence. Second, the study found that children’s self-regulation played a mediating role in the relationship between maternal parenting behavior and peer competence. In other words, maternal parenting behaviors had an indirect influence on children’s peer competency through their impact on the children’s self-regulation abilities. Furthermore, the children’s self-regulation acts as a mediating and indirect factor in elucidating the relationship between the mother’s parenting behavior and the children’s peer competence. The study demonstrates that children’s self-regulation acts as a crucial mediating factor in explaining the relationship between maternal parenting behavior and children’s peer competence. Therefore, enhancing children’s self-regulation abilities can play a vital role in shaping peer competency.

children’s peer competence, maternal parenting behavior, children’s self-regulation

Doyeon Chae , Junghyun Min , Yewon Cho , Chaeyoung Lee , Yunhee Kim

DOI: Vol.29(No.1) 83-104, 2023

The purpose of the present study was to explore preschool teachers’ perceptions of early childhood creativity using the metaphorical analysis method, to understand the self-reported performance of these teachers in teaching creativity and the metaphorical image they associate with children’s creativity. We employed the Teaching Performance Scale for Enhancing Creativity in Young Children, developed by Moon (1995), along with an open-ended questionnaire to collect teachers’ metaphors regarding children’s creativity. A total of 211 preschool teachers from across the country participated in the online survey. After analyzing the metaphors for children’s creativity, initially, 21 categories were identified. These categories were then further consolidated into four main themes: ‘divergent thinking,’ ‘malleability’ ‘diverse characteristics,’ and ‘needs for investment.’ The metaphors related to ‘fluency’ and ‘originality’ were prevalent across the high-performing, middle-performing, and low-performing groups. However, there was a difference in the third-most-used metaphors among the different groups. Based on the key findings, the implications for the direction of early childhood creativity education were discussed.

creativity, metaphors, teaching performance

Sung-ae Kim , Karen M. La Paro

DOI: Vol.29(No.1) 105-124, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted teacher preparation experiences and many early childhood pre-service teachers were unable to participate in classroom-based practicum experiences. Understanding pre-service teachers’ perceptions of alternative practicum experiences and related psychosocial feelings provides important information for teacher preparation programs. During the 2020-2021 academic year, pre-service teachers enrolled in practicum courses in an early childhood teacher preparation program in the US completed surveys with questions focused on depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress, pandemic concerns, teaching efficacy, and intentions for teaching. Descriptive and inferential analyses indicated that, overall, pre-service teachers completing practica in this challenging context reported minimal levels of depressive symptoms and low to moderate levels of anxiety and stress. Pre-services teachers reported limited concern about not having practicum experience; however, responses also indicated that pre-service teachers missed interacting with children and building relationships with them. Although a majority of pre-service teachers did not report considering a different career during this time, over a quarter of pre-service teachers reported being concerned about finding a job. Findings are discussed in terms of pre-service teachers’ experiences in practica during the COVID-19 pandemic, lessons learned, and implications for teacher preparation programs.

COVID-19, practicum, early childhood education, mental health in teacher preparation