Are We Experts?: Perspectives of Korean Teachers on their Careers in Infant and Toddler Care

Abstract

THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATES how Korean infant/toddler teachers define their role in centre-based childcare settings and how their attitudes and perspectives influence their professional identities and relationships with parents. The study utilised the interpretive science paradigm and individual interviews for data collection, and the qualitative data analysis method explored the experiences of 19 infant/ toddler teachers. Participants defined their role as 'teacher as mother' and placed more emphasis on nurturing than educating despite their acknowledgement of the importance of the educational aspects of centre-based care. The consensus among infant/toddler teachers that it is best for mothers to care for children at home derives from 1) teachers' consideration of infants/toddlers' developmental characteristics, and 2) the limitations of centre-based programs to fulfill the developmental needs of infants and toddlers. This perspective affects their sense of professionalism and job satisfaction and can lower the quality of overall infant and toddler care.

Childcare Teachers' Job Satisfaction: Effects Of Personality, Conflict-handling, and Organizational Characteristics

“…Previous researchers of job satisfaction have been focused primarily on the effects of individual personality components, such as self-esteem, emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and professionalism (Park, Yang, & Wee, 2014;Youssef & Luthans, 2007). In particular, the DISC model of behavior, devised by Marston (1928), is regarded as one of the most powerful personality theories of job satisfaction (de Jonge & Dormann, 2003;Kim, 1998).…”

“…In spite of the effectiveness of the DISC model, to our knowledge, it has not been applied in childcare settings in Korea. Childcare teaching is a caring profession that requires high levels of patience and empathy, and supportive and friendly characteristics (Lee & Yang, 2012;Park et al, 2014). A childcare teacher must understand the needs of both the children and their parents and interact positively with them.…”

Infant feeding nutrition policies in Australian early childhood education and care services: a content and qualitative analysis

“…Obtaining a formal ECEC qualification promotes the expectation that the preservice education and training will fully equip educators to care for infants or to be expert in their care (Park et al 2014). This is not the case with some ECEC graduands lacking confidence or feeling ill-prepared even after their practicum (Garvis and Lemon 2015).…”

Childcare Teachers' Attitudes toward the Integration of Care and Education in Korea

“…The teachers' strong preference for two distinct approaches in the curricula should also be critically evaluated (Park, Yang & Wee, 2014). Scholars in child development and education have stressed developmentally appropriate practices that incorporate both care and education based on the needs of the individual child (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009;Hadadd, 2002), rather than on a simple dichotomy of 'care for infants' and 'education for preschoolers'.…”