Ok Seung Yang

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 2-4, 2002

Ji Hi Bae

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 5-26, 2002

The purpose of this study was to review, integrate, and synthesize the findings from current research on the influence of social skills training on young children`s social knowledge, social skills, and peer relationships. Based on research findings, this study develops a conceptual framework depicting the hypothesized influence of social skills training on children`s peer relationships and social adjustment. Most of the studies on social skills training targeting children with peer relationship difficulties indicate that children show gains in positive social skills as a result of intervention, but findings on the effectiveness of social skills training on the improvement of children`s peer acceptance have proved controversial. Implications of findings from social skills training research and suggestions for further studies are discussed in detail.

Kyung Ok Lee , Jung Ran Lee

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 27-41, 2002

Self is an important theme in young children`s development. In this article, we tried to explore the validity of self-regulation and examined the relationship between self-regulation and self-concept for young children in Korea. Two-factor model was identified with cognitive/personal and behavioral/interpersonal self-regulation components. Cognitive/personal and total self-regulation scales were significantly correlated with self-concept of young children, especially with academic and total self-concept. Age and sex differences in seif-regulation and self-concept were also investigated. The findings support the early development of self-regulation and self-concept.

Jeong Yoon Kwon

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 43-65, 2002

This study investigated the relationship between Korean parents` identification of emotional and behavioral problems common to four- to five-year-old children, and their discipline styles for dealing with these problems. The results of this study were: (a) the Korean parents generally were uncertain in the identification of children`s emotional and behavioral problems; (b) "Repeat the direction firmly" and "Scold verbally" were the most often given responses to questions on their discipline styles, and (c) there was a weak positive relationship between the discipline style of "Teach the child using child education books" and most of the behavior categories.

Seon Ju Ko

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 67-87, 2002

This study investigated ways to enhance children`s logical inference in a computer game context. A set of rules was given as affirmative and negative if-then sentences. Ninety-five children aged 6 to 8 years had a brief training session using explicit questioning or pauses for planning. During the training , the explicitly questioned children peformed significantly bet-ter than those who had pauses with no questioning. But, the effect washed away in the post-training . Practice of the game enhanced inferential problem solving. Implications were made for the design and use of computer games in education

Jong Hee Lee , Sun Young Kim

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 89-104, 2002

This study addresses one of the most serious problems in science education: the inconsistency between educational goals and classroom practice .Researchers, using an open-ended questionnaire, asked 65 early childhood teachers two questions: what they thought the goals of early childhood science education were and what methods had they used in implementing `float or sink?`activities, which are representative of early child-hood science education. The results of the questionnaire analysis showed marked inconsistency between goals and practice. Assuming that teachers, like children, need opportunities to engage in constructing theories themselves in order to understand educational theories and thus, to apply them in the classroom appropriately, the researchers provided 250 teachers with a series of `float or sink?` activities derived from a constructivist point of view. Based upon an analysis of the ideas devised by the teachers as they participated in the activities, ways in which consistency between goals and practice in science can be obtained are discussed

Mikki Meadows , Joo Hi Lee

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 105-124, 2002

This qualitative study examined white teachers` reactions to the challenge of using multicultural education within predominately white classrooms. Two research questions were addressed: 1) What are the personal constructs of teachers regarding their Whiteness 2) How do constructs of Whiteness influence multicultural education in a predominately white classroom? Sixteen professionals from the Midwest United States participated in a multicultural course. Data were collected from participant journals, transcripts of the course discussions, and observation periods. The Constant Comparative Model of analysis was used. As data were gathered, analysis occurred simultaneously. The interplay between Whiteness and Midwestern culture was the core concept of the study. Supplemental categories were also generated which addressed struggles faced by the participants when attempting to use multicultural education. When Whiteness and multicultural education were approached while framing instruction within Midwest ideology, participants were more willing to engage in personal introspection and an examination of educational resources.

Young Sook Jang

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 125-150, 2002

Based on Vygotsky`s theory, this study examined dynamic processes by which Korean mothers engaged in scaffolding their children during joint reading and considered the relationship between those processes and children`s reading development. Korean mothers` scaffolding during joint reading was examined in terms of mothers` calibration and mothers` stretching. Mother`s calibration refers to how sensitive she is to rising and falling complexity shown in the responses of her child. Mother`s stretch-ing describes the difference between the cognitive complexity demanded by a mother and the cognitive complexity exhibited in her child`s responses. Eighty-one pairs of Korean mothers and their children were observed at the participants` homes. Korean mothers` scaffolding within the zone of proximal development was found in this study. In addition, mothers` stretching was positively associated with children`s leading development. The interaction between mothers` calibration and stretching significantly predicted children`s reading abilities

Kyung Hye Lee

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 151-170, 2002

Considering the seriously increasing rise of child poverty in the world, research designed to pinpoint the optimal timing of intervention and identify factors, which can moderate the devastating impacts of child poverty, is of critical importance. The major questions addressed in this study are:(a) whether or not the presence of different parenting styles might offset the risks associated with parental poverty (e.g. , poor school readiness),and (b) whether these predictors are best described using a moderator or a mediator model, As a means of extending knowledge about long-term child development, a demographic questionnaire was used to measure the parental poverty status when children were 2 years old. The Parenting Behavior Questionnaire was used when the children were 4 years old, and teacher-reported child school readiness skills were used when the children were at grade 1 Using structure equation modelling analyses, the results of this study confirmed and extended evidence that child school readiness is significantly effected by parental poverty through parenting behavior styles. Hence, this study clearly reveals a possibility of breaking the devastating impact of parental poverty on child academic development and shows a different aspect through a transmission gap.

Myung Sook Lee

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 171-192, 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Korean immigrant parents` support their young children`s teaming of ESL teaming in the United States and to identify the factors that may influence those support-ing practices. The subjects of this study were drawn from among 96Korean immigrant parents who have young children from ages two to six attending early childhood schools in towns or cites in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In addition, 11 Korean immigrant parents volunteered for a follow-up, in-depth interview. Four instruments to collect the data were developed; (1) Parents` Demographic Questionnaire, (2) a Korean Cultural Values Scale, (3) a Parents` Supporting Practices of ESL Loaming Scale, and (4) an In-Depth Interview Guide. An analysis of the data reveals that Korean immigrant parents, using very similar ways, sup-port their children`s teaming of both Korean and English as a Second Language simultaneously.

Hiroshi Ashida

DOI: Vol.8(No.2) 193-210, 2002

There is probably no kindergarten without an athletic festival Undokai in Japan. Froebel, the father of kindergarten, wrote about Play Festivals that are quite similar to the athletic festivals of today. However, the Japanese athletic festival did not develop from Froebel`s concept. Rather, they came out of the festival tradition in Japanese naval colleges and universities. These festivals, over time, filtered down to elementary education and then to kindergartens in Japan. Athletic festival is characterized by physical competition and group training and these characteristics philosophically are counter to the principles of kindergarten education, which focuses more on children`s autonomy and spontaneity. The two reasons given for the common practice of the athletic festival are (1) that it encourages parents to participate and, (2) that both parents and children under-stand the entertaining value of sharing the joy of watching growing children. Although instruction on group behavior or observing rules tends to be teacher-centered, teachers today pay close attention to creating an atmosphere and exchanging ideas through discussion so that children can be actively and willingly involved. The potential problem is that the teachers` instructional abilities can divert their expectations away from the viewpoint of child-centeredness. Athletic festivals have become a necessity to kindergartens in Japan yet at the same time they continue to raise a potential problem for encouraging the development of individuality and the sense of individuals contributing and belonging to a group.