영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경, 공감능력, 수업역량 및 교사-유아 상호작용 간의 구조적 관계

국문 초록 (Abstract)

최근 영유아교육기관에서의 교사-유아 상호작용은 장시간 기관에서 생활하는 영유아의 전인적 성장과 발달을 지원하는 핵심 요인으로 주목받고 있다. 이에 본 연구는 바람직한 교사-유아 상호작용을 증진하기 위한 기초적 근거를 마련하고자 선행연구를 검토하여 그 영향 변인으로 영유 아교사가 지각하는 전문성 지원환경, 공감능력, 수업역량을 선정하였다.
그리고 이러한 변인들과 교사-유아 상호작용 간에 어떠한 구조적 관계가 나타나는지 규명하고자 한다.
이상의 연구목적을 구체화하기 위하여 다음과 같은 연구문제를 설정하 였다.
첫째, 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경, 공감능력, 수업역량 및교사-유아 상호작용 간의 구조적 관계는 어떠한가?
둘째, 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경이 교사-유아 상호작용에 미치는 영향에서 공감능력과 수업역량의 매개효과는 어떠한가?
본 연구에서는 자료수집을 위해 온라인 및 오프라인 설문지 조사가 병행되었다. 온라인 조사는 전문적인 조사기관을 통해 이루어졌다. 오프라인 조사는 서울·인천, 경기도, 강원도, 충청도, 전라도, 경상도에 분포되어 있는 영유아교육기관 재직 교사들을 편의표집으로 선정하여 진행하였다. 최종적으로 영유아교육기관 재직 교사 551명의 설문지가 분석되었 다. 측정도구로는 김순영(2022)의 전문성 지원환경 척도, 신정애(2023)의 공감능력 척도, 김연수(2017)의 수업역량 척도, 김보경(2021)의 교사-유아 상호작용 척도가 사용되었다.
수집된 설문자료는 SPSS 28.0과 AMOS 28.0 프로그램을 활용하여 분석하였 다. 먼저 SPSS 28.0을 사용하여 연구 변인들에 대한 기술통계분석을 실시하 고, 측정 도구의 내적 합치도를 검증하기 위하여 Cronbach’s α를 산출하 였다. 다음으로 AMOS 28.0을 사용하여 확인적 요인분석을 실시한 뒤, 관련 변인 간 이론 모형을 검증하기 위해 구조방정식모형(SEM) 분석을 수행하였 다. 매개효과의 유의성은 부트스트래핑(bootstrapping) 방법을 통해 검증하였 다.
본 연구에서 제기된 연구문제에 따른 주요 연구결과는 다음과 같다.
첫째, 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경과 공감능력, 수업역량 및 교사-유아 상호작용 간의 구조적 관계를 분석한 결과, 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경이 교사-유아 상호작용에 미치는 직접효과는 유의하지 않았 고, 공감능력과 교사전문성은 교사-유아 상호작용에 각각 직접효과를 나타 냈다. 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경은 공감능력과 수업역량에 직접 효과를 나타냈으며, 공감능력 역시 수업역량에 직접효과를 나타냈다.
둘째, 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경이 교사-유아 상호작용에 미치는 영향에서 공감능력과 수업역량의 매개효과를 분석한 결과, 모두 유의하였다. 즉 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경 → 공감능력 → 교사-유아 상호작용의 간접효과(B=.17)는 95% 신뢰구간(95% CI: .07∼.29, p<.001)에서 매개효과가 유의하였다. 그리고 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경 → 수업역량 → 교사-유아 상호작용의 간접효과(B=.19)는 95% 신뢰구간(95% CI: .07∼.41, p<.01)에서 매개효과가 유의하였다.
또한, 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경이 교사–유아 상호작용에 미치는 영향에서 공감능력과 수업역량은 순차적 매개효과를 나타냈다. 즉, 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경 → 공감능력 → 수업역량 → 교사-유아 상호작용의 간접효과(B=.11)는 95% 신뢰구간(95% CI: .06∼.20, p<.001)에서 순차적 매개효과가 유의하였다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Recently, teacher–child interaction in early childhood education settings has received increasing attention as a key factor supporting the holistic growth and development of young children who spend extended hours in early childhood institutions. To establish foundational evidence for promoting high-quality teacher–child interaction, this study identified the professional support environment perceived by teachers, empathy, and teaching competence as major influencing variables based on prior research. The study then examined the structural relationships among these variables and teacher–child interaction. To address these objectives, the following research questions were formulated:
(1) What are the structural relationships among early childhood teachers’ perceived professional support environment, empathy, teaching competence, and teacher–child interaction?
(2) What are the mediating effects of empathy and teaching competence on the relationship between teachers’ perceived professional support environment and teacher–child interaction?
To address these objectives, this study developed a draft questionnaire based on prior research and examined its content validity with eight early childhood teachers, then revised it and conducted a pilot study with 50 teachers to check item clarity, difficulty, and response distribution. Using the finalized questionnaire, the main survey was administered both offline and online to 551 early childhood teachers working in institutions across Seoul·Incheon, Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do, and Gyeongsang-do. The measurement instruments included the Professional Support Environment Scale (Kim, 2022), the Empathy Scale (Shin, 2023), the Teaching Competence Scale (Kim, 2017), and the Teacher–Child Interaction Scale (Kim, 2021).
Data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0 and AMOS 28.0. Descriptive statistics and Cronbach’s α were first calculated using SPSS to determine internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were then conducted using AMOS to verify the theoretical model. The significance of mediating effects was examined through bootstrapping.
The major findings were as follows.
First, in the structural model, teachers’ perceived professional support environment did not have a significant direct effect on teacher –child interaction, whereas empathy and teaching competence showed significant direct effects. The professional support environment had significant direct effects on empathy and teaching competence, and empathy also had a significant direct effect on teaching competence.
Second, the mediating effects of empathy and teaching competence in the relationship between the professional support environment and teacher–child interaction were both significant. The indirect effect of the professional support environment → empathy → teacher–child interaction (B = .17) was significant within the 95% confidence interval (95% CI: .07–.29, p < .001). The indirect effect of the professional support environment → teaching competence → teacher–child interaction (B = .19) was also significant (95% CI: .07–.41, p < .01).
Additionally, the sequential mediating effect of empathy and teaching competence was significant: professional support environment → empathy → teaching competence → teacher–child interaction (B = .11), with a 95% confidence interval of .06–.20 (p < .001).
These findings indicate that empathy and teaching competence function as essential psychological and instructional mechanisms linking the professional support environment to high-quality teacher–child interaction.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 목 차 ·············································································································· ⅰ
• 표 목 차 ·············································································································· ⅲ
• 그림목차 ············································································································· ⅳ
• 국문초록 ············································································································· ⅴ
• Ⅰ. 서 론
• 1. 연구의 필요성 및 목적 ············································································ 1
• 2. 연구문제 ···································································································· 11
• 3. 용어 정의 ·································································································· 12
• Ⅱ. 이론적 배경 및 선행연구 고찰
• 1. 전문성 지원환경 ······················································································ 15
• 2. 공감능력 ···································································································· 25
• 3. 수업역량 ···································································································· 34
• 4. 교사-유아 상호작용 ················································································ 43
• 5. 변인들 간의 관계 ·················································································· 53
• 6. 연구모형 ···································································································· 74
• Ⅲ. 연구방법
• 1. 연구대상 ···································································································· 76
• 2. 연구도구 ···································································································· 79
• 3. 연구절차 ·································································································· 84
• 4. 자료분석 ·································································································· 87
• Ⅳ. 연구결과 및 해석
• 1. 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경, 공감능력, 수업역량 및교사-유아 상호작용의 간의 구조적 관계 ········································ 89
• 2. 영유아교사가 인식한 전문성 지원환경이 교사-유아 상호작용에 미치는 영향에서 공감능력과 수업역량의 매개효과 ······················ 105
• Ⅴ. 논의 및 결론
• 1. 논의 ·········································································································· 109
• 2. 결론 및 제언 ·························································································· 122
• 참 고 문 헌 ····································································································· 126
• ABSTRACT ······································································································ 157
• 부 록 ······································································································ 160