This study verified the mediating effect of interpersonal intelligence in the effect of playfulness of early childhood teachers on play support competencies. The subjects of this study were 128 early childhood teachers working in national, public, and private kindergartens. As the research tools, the playfulness scale for adults, the play support competency measurement tool for early childhood teachers, and the interpersonal intelligence measurement tool were analyzed by structural equation model. The results of the study are as follows. First, the playfulness of early childhood teachers does not directly affect play support competencies. As a sub-factor of playfulness, among cheerfulness, spontaneity, and creativity, if early childhood teachers impulsiveness were high, the teachers play support competencies were rather low. Second, the playfulness of early childhood teachers fully mediates interpersonal intelligence and has a positive effect on play support competencies. The necessity of strengthening the play support competency through support for improving the interpersonal intelligence of early childhood teachers was discussed, and suggested to improve the play support competencies of early childhood teachers in kindergartens.
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