Korean ece teachers' strategies for addressing challenging behavior

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The purposes of this study were (a) to profile Korean preschool and daycare center teachers' (reported and observed) strategies for addressing challenging behaviors and quality of instruction; (b) to identify relationships among three fundamental ECE factors (family, teacher, and child factors) and teachers' strategies for addressing challenging behaviors and quality of instruction; and (c) to identify which factors best predict these strategies and quality of instruction. The participants of this study were 270 preschool and daycare center teachers serving children aged three to five in South Korea. Findings from this study are as follow. (A) Teachers' beliefs regarding developmentally appropriate practices for young children are associated with positive strategies for addressing challenging behaviors. Teachers' beliefs regarding developmentally inappropriate practices for young children are associated with negative strategies for addressing challenging behaviors. (B) Center-level support, such as positive work environments and availability of consultation with specialists regarding challenging behaviors, is associated with reported positive proactive strategies. (C) Severity of challenging behaviors is associated with both reported and observed negative strategy implementation. (D) Severity of challenging behaviors has negative impacts on teachers' quality of instruction. (f) Program, teacher, and child factors all contribute, in some way, to teachers' strategies for addressing challenging behaviors and quality of instruction.