Competence For Young Children Research Articles

유아 놀이중심 교육과정을 반영한 리빙랩 프로그램 효과성 연구: 유아발달 및 놀이성과 공동체 의식, 사회적 유능감, 친사회성을 중심으로

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of a living lab program reflecting a play-based curriculum for early childhood education on early childhood development and playfulness and sense of community, social competence, prosociality. Methods To this end, the study was conducted with 14 five-year-olds from A Affiliated Kindergarten (experimental group) and 11 five-year-olds from B Affiliated Kindergarten (comparison group), both located in Gyeonggi Province. Normality was assessed using SPSS 23.0, with statistical significance evaluated through the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess homogeneity between the experimental group and the comparison group. Differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results The main findings of the study are as follows: First, the post-test mean scores of the experimental group improved by between 0.87 and 2.03 points compared to the pre-test mean scores. Compared to the pre-test mean scores, the post-test mean scores of the comparison group either decreased by between -0.46 and -0.03 points or increased by between 0.01 and 0.39 points. The results of the normality tests using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) and Shapiro-Wilk (S-W) tests showed that statistical significance was not found for some factors (e.g., overall playfulness). However, we confirmed that most factors had p-values greater than 0.05. Second, no statistically significant difference was found between the experimental group and the comparison group, confirming that the groups were homogeneous. Third, the pre- and post-test difference analysis for the experimental group showed that post-test scores were higher than pre-test scores for all factors, with statistical significance observed. The pre- and post-test analyses for the comparison group revealed statistical significance in some factors (e.g., physical spontaneity of playfulness and overall social competence), but no statistical significance was observed in most factors. Fourth, the analysis of differences between the experimental group and the comparison group revealed statistical significance in all factors, with the experimental group showing higher scores compared to the comparison group. Conclusions The findings of this study confirm the potential of play-based curricula that utilize community resources. Therefore, it is necessary to explore ways to actively introduce and expand Living Lab programs through the provision of rich learning environments and community collaboration in order to promote holistic development and enhance social competencies in young children.

Intermodality in practice: understanding the roles of drawing and writing in early school compositions

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study is to analyse young children’s (Grade 1, ages 7–8) descriptive texts through a social semiotic lens, and to propose a metalinguistic model for analysing children’s compositions in terms of intermodality. Previous research highlights the importance of teachers valuing all modes that children use to express their knowledge, identities, and emotions. This study introduces a framework grounded in Systemic Functional Linguistics to address the intermodality present in young children’s compositions, focusing on alphabetic writing and drawing. The analysis identifies four categories of intermodal relations: Concurrency, Complementarity, Divergence, and Inactivity. The results of the analysis show that the intermodal relations in children’s compositions are primarily word-driven. However, there are a significant number of compositions that challenge this primacy. This variety displays a variety of multimodal competences that were deemed functional by the students: Some compositions were driven by words, some by images and some by both. The framework provides valuable insights into how children use the modes of drawing and alphabetic writing to construct meaning in different ways. By developing a metalanguage for multimodal compositions, teachers can better scaffold a broad range of communicative competencies in young children, fostering richer and more inclusive classroom practices.

Paternal involvement and peer competence in young children: the mediating role of playfulness.

The capacity to interact with peers during early childhood can profoundly and enduringly influence later development and adaptation. Previous research has indicated that paternal involvement plays a vital role in shaping children's peer competence. However, limited research has been conducted on this association within the Chinese cultural contexts or on the potential mechanisms that underlie it. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate whether there is a close link between paternal involvement and peer competence in Chinese young children, as well as whether children's playfulness mediates this relationship. The Chinese version of the Paternal Involvement Questionnaire (FIQ) was distributed to 359 fathers with children (4-6 years old). Children's Playfulness Scale (CPS) and Ability to Associate With Partners Scale (AAPS) were distributed to the children's mothers. (1) There are positive correlations between paternal involvement, young children's playfulness and peer competence after controlling for the demographic variables of age and gender. (2) Paternal involvement is positively related to young children's peer competence. (3) Playfulness partially mediated the relationship between paternal involvement and children's peer competence. Findings from this study emphasize the significance of paternal involvement in enhancing young children's peer competence, while also highlighting the value of positive emotional traits such as playfulness for fostering family interaction and promoting young child development.

또래관계에 어려움을 경험하는 유아의 또래유능성 개입에 대한 요구분석: 주양육자와 전문가를 대상으로

The purpose of this study is to analyze the demands for peer competence interventions for young children who have difficulties in peer relationships. To achieve this research objective, semi-structured interviews were conducted using a questionnaire with six primary caregivers of young children experiencing peer relationship difficulties and six experts who assist with peer relationships. The collected data was analyzed using content analysis. The results identified three main themes, seven categories, 17 subcategories, and 53 meaningful units. The three themes derived were: ‘Factors influencing the intervention process for young children experiencing peer relationship difficulties,’ ‘Methods for enhancing peer competence in young children,’ and ‘Suggestions for peer competence interventions for young children.’ The three conclusions drawn from the research findings are as follows: First, institutions that support young children with peer relationship difficulties should be established to play a central role in the training and support of experts. Second, to facilitate prompt interventions, specialized early childhood counselors capable of observation and mediation should be separately placed in early childhood education institutions. Third, education aimed at enhancing peer competence suitable for developmental stages should be promoted. This study is significant in that it analyzed the demands for peer competence interventions for young children experiencing difficulties in peer relationships through the statements of primary caregivers and experts.

Learning for children in an educational enrichment: a perspective derived from Taiwan's Early Childhood Education & Care Curriculum Framework

Anchored in the educational philosophy of “benevolence,” the Taiwan's Early Childhood Education & Care Curriculum Framework establishes nine learning goals and emphasizes the cultivation of six core competencies in young children. Recognizing that young children have potential for development, imagination, and creativity, the framework encourages young learners to engage with their surroundings, exhibit curiosity, and explore through play. The curriculum framework highlights the multifaceted roles of teachers, including their roles in shaping class culture and learning environments, partnering in the lives and learning journeys of children, guiding in their educational development, and collaborating with families. This curriculum framework emphasizes a child-centered approach to course development, integrating diverse activities that are reflective of and relevant to children's life experiences. It prioritizes maintaining the physical and mental health and safety of young children and introduces them to the meaning of life and the phenomenon of multiculturalism. The type of this study is a conceptual analysis, and it is a study from a reflective model on the implementation of the curriculum in Taiwan. Through this curriculum framework, children are encouraged to appreciate life's beauty and interact with others effectively and empathetically. Therefore, the curriculum framework emphasizes life education, multicultural education, aesthetic education, and moral education as essential components in the holistic development of young children. The curriculum framework is an educational enrichment for children's learning. This study explores the concept of early childhood learning as conceptualized by Taiwan's Early Childhood Education & Care Curriculum Framework. It is hoped that such an exploration can broaden young children's learning horizons, and enhance the quality of early childhood education.

Research on the Ways to Improve the Practical Teaching Ability of Early Childhood Physical Education Teachers in Pre-service Training

Early childhood education (ECE) is a critical stage for developing physical fitness, motor skills, and social competence in young children. In recent years, with the growing recognition of the importance of early childhood education, the pre-service training of early childhood physical education teachers has received more attention. Practical teaching ability is a core factor affecting the quality of early childhood physical education teachers' education. To enhance the practical teaching ability of early childhood physical education teachers, this article explores specific strategies and approaches that can be adopted at the pre-service training stage to guide teacher education institutions and policymakers to optimize pre-service training programs and improve the quality and effectiveness of future teachers. The article identifies several key ways to enhance the pre-service training of early childhood physical education teachers: the intensification of theoretical training, the deepening of practical training, the establishment of mechanisms for reflection and evaluation, and the application of technology and innovative methods to enhance teachers' professional knowledge and skills, and also their motivation to teach and their ability to innovate.

유아의 사회·정서적 유능감 평가척도 개발

Objectives The purpose of this study is to develop an evaluation scale to identify Social-Emotional Competence in young children. Methods To this end, 110 preliminary questions were developed through analysis of prior studies, Delphi survey by experts, and field survey. Validity was verified by analyzing item discrimination, validity, and reliability for the final draft. Results As a result of the study, the test results for each item, validity, and reliability of the children's social and emotional competence evaluation scale items were all found to be good, and the final result was 7 items for emo-tional recognition and understanding, 7 items for emotional expression, 9 items for emotion regulation, and social knowledge. An evaluation scale of 67 questions in a total of 6 areas was developed, including 6 questions on un-derstanding, 9 questions on interpersonal skills, and 9 questions on social problem solving. Conclusions The evaluation scale developed through this study was developed to evaluate Young Children's so-cial and emotional competency, which is the ability of young children to understand their own and others' emo-tions, establish amicable relationships in social relationships, express them appropriately, and solve problems effectively.

The feasibility of TOGETHER: a collaborative educator-parent programme for teaching social and emotional competence in young children

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of the TOGETHER: Growing Children’s Social and Emotional Competence programme. This programme was designed to build a more collaborative relationship between educators and parents so that they could, together, develop children’s social and emotional competence skills by using positive behaviour support strategies in an Australian early year setting. The findings are reported on two educators, two children and their mothers. Data were collected via a questionnaire, rating scale, direct classroom and home observations and educator/parent interviews. The results indicated an increase in educator and parent positive responses to the two young children’s appropriate behaviour and a decrease in their challenging behaviour. The findings also showed inconsistencies between educators in implementing the strategies. Educators and parents developed a more collaborative relationship. Identified barriers families have with accessing this type of programme are discussed.

Does Sedentary Behavior Predict Motor Competence in Young Children?

Background: Understanding how or whether sedentary behavior affects motor competence in young children is important considering that children spend a lot of time sedentary. The aim of this study was to examine whether sedentary behavior predicts motor competence in young children. Methods: A longitudinal study with a total of 372 children aged 3.5 years at baseline and 5 years at follow-up was conducted. Objectively measured activity patterns (i.e., using accelerometers) were conducted in a subsample with 188 children. Sedentary behavior was assessed both objectively and subjectively (parent-reported screen time). Locomotor and object control skill scores were determined using the Test of Gross Motor Development—Second Edition. A multivariable analysis was executed adjusting for potential confounders (such as age, sex, time spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, monitor wear time, body mass index z scores, and maternal education). Results: Sedentary behavior at either time point was not significantly associated with either locomotor or object control skills after adjusting for potential confounders. Discussion: Our results did not support the assumption that sedentary behavior affects motor competence in young children. Regardless, given the lack of consistency in the evidence base, we recommend to parents, educators, and health professionals that sedentary activities should be kept within government recommendations due to potential negative effects on child development.

The Effect of Mother’s Positive Parenting Attitude on Social Competence in Young Children

The Effect of Mother’s Positive Parenting Attitude on Social Competence in Young Children

Personality descriptions influence perceived cuteness of children and nurturing motivation toward them.

The current empirical evidence regarding the effects of personality on physical attractiveness is limited to adult faces. In two preregistered studies, we demonstrated that personality descriptions influenced perceived cuteness, warmth, competence of young children, and female adults' nurturing motivation toward them. Study 1 showed that participants rated children accompanied by positive personality descriptions as cuter, friendlier, and more intelligent than their initial ratings. Negative personality descriptions reduced perceived cuteness in children, which in turn reduced nurturing motivation. Study 2 showed that negative personality descriptions consistently reduced perceived cuteness and warmth ratings after manipulation, regardless of the initial level of perceived cuteness. After one week, cuteness and warmth ratings in the positive personality condition tended to return to their initial ratings. However, the effect of negative personality descriptions on cuteness ratings persisted for all children. Together, our findings suggest that female adults' perception of cuteness and nurturing motivation are induced not only by children's appearance but also their personality.

Face and Content Validity of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence in Young Children.

An international group of experts have developed a pictorial tool to measure perceived water competence for children aged from 5 to 8 years old: the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC). The aim of the present study was to verify the validity of this tool. In the first part of the study, 120 children were interviewed to investigate face validity of the PSPWC to ensure that all pictorial items were understandable. In the second part of the study, 13 scientific and/or pedagogical international experts were invited to assess the tool's content validity via an online survey. Face validity results revealed that children were able to understand and sequence correctly the aquatic situations in 92% of the cases. The average Content Validity Index (CVI) of the PSPWC ranged from 0.88 to 0.95, showing acceptable content validity. Feedback from experts and children resulted in a major improvement of the "exit water" situation and minor improvements concerning some other items. Experts confirmed that the PSPWC was globally appropriate for different countries and cultures, except for the situation "water entry by slide" which was not considered usual practice in some countries. The PSPWC opens up to new fields of research; useful both for the prevention of drowning and for the support of children's aquatic education.

Applying an ecosystem approach to explore modifiable factors related to the risk for low motor competence in young children

Early childhood is a crucial phase for motor development in which differences between children can manifest. These differences might be related to factors in ecosystems in which children are raised, of which little is currently known. The current study's purpose was to explore which modifiable factors in children's ecosystems are associated with the odds for low versus higher motor competence (MC) in 4- to 6-year-old children. A cross-sectional study design was conducted to investigate which modifiable social and physical factors in the home environment and direct living environment were associated with differences in MC. Children's MC was measured through the Athletic Skills Track in 612 4- to 6-year-olds, from 10 primary schools in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Parenting practices, characteristics of the home environment, and perceptions of the direct living environment were assessed through parental questionnaires. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate factors associated with low MC in children. The presence of a garden at home and higher perceived sports facilities in the direct living environment decreased the likelihood of children being classified as low MC. Moreover, stronger parental active transportation routines and more discouraging physical activity parenting practices resulted in lower odds of low MC. In addition, girls were more at risk for low MC. Characteristics of the social and physical home environment and direct living environment were associated with MC disparities during early childhood. Both parenting practices and parental physical activity-involved behaviours are relevant modifiable factors related to differences in children's MC.

Learning about others and learning from others: Bayesian probabilistic models of intuitive psychology and social learning.

Learning about others and learning from others: Bayesian probabilistic models of intuitive psychology and social learning.

Effects of Maternal Overprotection on Social Competence in Young Children: The Mediating Role of Young Children’s Anxiety

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of maternal overprotection on the development of young children’s social competence through their anxiety. In this study, maternal overprotection was defined as anxiously shielding their young children from having negative experiences and maintaining developmentally inappropriate intrusive and permissive parenting for their children.Methods: Participants were 183 mothers and 18 teachers with young children aged from four to six years. Mothers rated themselves on the degree of their overprotecting behaviors measured by a maternal overprotection scale for young children (Y. S. Chung & Park, 2021). Teachers rated young children’s anxiety and social competence. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and a structural equation model. Bootstrapping method was applied to examine the significance of the mediating effects.Results: First, there were significant correlations between maternal overprotection, young children’s anxiety and social competence. Second, structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized relations among maternal overprotection, young children’s anxiety and social competence after controlling with young children’s gender, maternal academic background, and monthly household income. And the level of young children’s anxiety mediated the relationship between overprotective parenting and young children’s social competence.Conclusion: This study showed that mother’s overprotective parenting was associated with varying levels of young children’s anxiety and social competence. Additionally the maternal overprotection linked with children’s social competence indirectly through their anxiety. These findings offer basic knowledge applicable to parent education and the for the development of program for improving parenting behaviors. The limitations and other implications of this study are also discussed.

Physical literacy & early childhood executive function and language development: Active Early Learning randomised controlled trial

Physical literacy & early childhood executive function and language development: Active Early Learning randomised controlled trial

Leadership at Play in Preschool Children: A Systematic Synthesis of Nearly Nine Decades of Research

ABSTRACT Research Findings: While leadership is not a novel concept, child leadership is still an under-cultivated field. Despite nearly nine decades of research on play leadership in preschool children, there still remains a paucity of empirical studies examining this developmental area, especially considering that leadership in the preschool years is an essential aspect of social competence. To ascertain the current state of knowledge concerning child leadership in the context of social play, this systematic synthesis analyzed the only 11 research studies that met the inclusion criteria. A content analysis revealed that the knowledge base on child leadership may have been impeded by a lack of clear definitions and conceptualizations of this phenomenon. Nevertheless, it yielded insights in three areas: (1) typology of leadership styles using labeling, dichotomizing, and dimensionalizing as strategies, (2) typology of leadership behaviors, and (3) attributes of child leaders. This synthesis also suggested two important directions for future research on play leadership: (1) within-culture studies on diverse child populations, and (2) cross-cultural comparisons. Practice or Policy: Play leadership should be integrated into the early childhood curriculum to promote social competence in young children. Teachers should also provide children ample social opportunities to develop, exercise, and hone their leadership abilities.

What factors relate to three profiles of perception of motor competence in young children?

ABSTRACT The study aims were to 1) examine profiles of perception of motor competence (PMC) in relation to actual motor competence (AMC), i.e. under-estimators (UEs), realistic estimators (REs) and over-estimators (OEs) and 2) investigate associations between the profiles and selected socioecological factors at the individual, family and environmental levels. PMC (Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence) and AMC (Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition) were administered to a representative sample of children from 37 childcare centres in Finland (n=441;6.2±0.6yrs;52% boys). Socioecological factors were investigated using a parental questionnaire. The three profiles were formed based on age- and gender-adjusted PMC and AMC z-scores. Multinomial logistic regression showed that OEs (n=81; p=0.04) tended to be younger than REs (n=306; p=0.04) and UEs (n=54; p=0.03). Parents of OEs reported more child health and developmental issues than parents of REs (p=0.03). Parents of UEs self-reported providing more support for physical activity than parents’ of REs (p=0.04). REs tended to live in denser population areas than UEs (n=54; p=0.03). Whilst PMC profiles revealed some socioecological differences, future research needs to focus on a broader range of potential correlates and untangle methodological analyses challenges to deepen the knowledge about PMC development in children.

Examining the psychometric properties of the digital scale of perceived motor competence in young children.

This study examined the psychometric properties (i.e., reliability and validity) of the Digital Scale of Perceived Motor Competence (DSPMC) in preschool-aged children. One hundred eighteen children (Mage =4.5) completed Study 1 on internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and 87 children (Mage =4.5) completed Study 2 on construct validity. Study 1 results support that the DSPMC demonstrates an acceptable internal consistency at both the initial (α=0.78) and retest (α=0.75) and good test-retest reliability (ICC=0.84; 95% CI=0.76-0.89). Study 2 results demonstrate that the DSPMC is significantly correlated to two other measures of perceived competence (rrange =0.25-0.39) and all actual motor skill subscales (rrange =0.23-0.39). These results support that the DSPMC is a valid and reliable tool to measure perceived competence in young children.

Research with young children: Exploring the methodological advantages and challenges of using hand puppets and draw and tell

AbstractThis paper explores the methodological advantages and challenges of participatory tools used in research with young children in Ireland. Taking a child‐centred approach, hand puppets and ‘draw and tell’ helped elicit children's expressions and meanings. Both techniques assisted in shifting the power balance between children and researchers, encouraged dialogue, created a fun atmosphere and promoted children's participation. When children are given the space, opportunity and means, and with skilled facilitation, they can clearly share their perspectives and meanings. It is important that researchers and practitioners use techniques that will facilitate and maximise young children's competencies, agency and preferences.