The Mediating Effect of Interpersonal Intelligence on the Effects of Early Childhood Teachers’ Playfulness on Play Support Competencies

Abstract

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.

The Effect of Play Teaching Efficacy on Play Support Competency according to Major Satisfaction of Pre-serviced Early Childhood Teachers Based on the 2019 Revised Nuri Curriculum: Mediating Effect of Grit

“…선행연구[11][12]에서는 유아교사의 놀이지원역량에 다양한 요인들이 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타남을 보고하며, 대체로 놀이지원역량의 구성요인인 인지적, 정의적, 실천적 역량에 기여하는 요인들을 중심으로 그 관계를 밝히고 있다. 즉 놀이를 지원해 줄 수 있도록 놀이 이론에 대한 지식기반의 인지적 역량, 놀이과정에서 교사가 보여주는 정서기반의 정의적 역량, 놀이상황에서 맥락에 맞게 놀이를 계획, 실행, 평가할 수 있는 실천적 역량[13]을 중심으로 관련 요인들이 파악되어져야 함을 시사한다.…”