Toward an Integrative “Educare” System: An Investigation of Teachers' Understanding and Uses of Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children in Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how early childhood teachers in Korea understand developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and follow DAP's instructional guidelines. In order to obtain insights for developing “educare,” an integrated system for the education and care of young children in Korea, a comparison of early childhood teachers' beliefs and instructional activities by center type (i.e., kindergarten vs. child care) was conducted. Findings indicated that early childhood teachers in Korea showed positive beliefs in DAP and utilization of its practices. However, a large percentage of teachers reported inconsistent profiles of DAP beliefs and activities. In particular, it is unclear whether teachers differentiate appropriate and inappropriate uses of DAP. Only 45 (21.3 percent) of 211 kindergarten teachers and 26 (12.5 percent) of 208 child care teachers reported consistent DAP beliefs and activities. In terms of group differences, kindergarten teachers showed more positive profiles than child care teachers. Based upon the results of MANOVA and discriminant analyses, the main group differences were related to teachers' inappropriate beliefs and practices. Suggestions for future research studies also were discussed.