The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of mothers’ parental beliefs on their perceptions of the play-based curriculum and private education. Based on this purpose, the following research questions were established.
1. Are there dif...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of mothers’ parental beliefs on their perceptions of the play-based curriculum and private education. Based on this purpose, the following research questions were established.
1. Are there differences in parental beliefs, perceptions of the play-based curriculum, and perceptions of private education according to mothers’ general background characteristics?
2. What are the correlations among mothers’ parental beliefs, their perceptions of the play-based curriculum, and their perceptions of private education?
3. What are the effects of mothers’ parental beliefs on their perceptions of the play-based curriculum and private education?
3-1. What is the effect of mothers’ parental beliefs on their perceptions of the play-based curriculum?
3-2. What is the effect of mothers’ parental beliefs on their perceptions of private education?
The subjects of this study were 302 mothers of children aged 3 to 5 who were enrolled in kindergartens and daycare centers in Gyeonggi-do, and data were collected through questionnaires. Mothers’ parental beliefs were measured using the Parental Beliefs Scale developed by Ahn Ye-seul, Lee Young-sun, and Lee Seung-yeon (2022). Perceptions of the play-based curriculum were assessed using the questionnaire revised and supplemented by Kim Mi-ja (2022), based on the original parent questionnaire developed by Kim Eun-young and colleagues. Perceptions of private education were measured using the Korean Private Education Perception Scale developed by Kim Hyo-eun, Pyeon Ji-ae, and Choi Na-ya (2024). For statistical analysis, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability verification (Cronbach’s α), t-tests, ANOVA, Scheffé post-hoc tests, Pearson’s product–moment correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed.
The results of this study are summarized as follows.
First, significant differences were found in mothers’ parental beliefs, perceptions of the play-based curriculum, and perceptions of private education according to their general background characteristics, including educational background, monthly income, number of children, birth order, and the type of educational institution their children attended. Mothers with four-year college degrees showed the highest perceptions of private education, and higher monthly income was associated with greater understanding of the play-based curriculum. As the number of children increased, mothers scored higher on the “belief in children” sub-factor and perceived the play-based curriculum more positively, whereas perceptions of private education were highest among mothers with only one child. With respect to birth order, mothers of firstborn, second-born, and later-born children showed higher levels of both “belief in children” and perceptions of the play-based curriculum compared with mothers of only children. In addition, mothers whose children attended daycare centers perceived the play-based curriculum more positively than mothers whose children attended kindergartens.
Second, the correlation analysis revealed that mothers’ parental beliefs were positively correlated with their perceptions of the play-based curriculum. In particular, the “belief in children” sub-factor showed positive correlations with all sub-factors of play-based curriculum perception, whereas the “belief in parents” sub-factor was positively correlated only with the “play” sub-factor. Higher parental beliefs were associated with lower perceptions of the expected effects of private education, lower levels of psychological factors related to private education (such as competitiveness, self-display, and conformity), and lower levels of negative parent–child relationship factors. In addition, perceptions of the play-based curriculum were negatively correlated with psychological aspects of private education and negative parent–child relationship factors, indicating that more positive perceptions of the play-based curriculum contribute to reducing dependence on private education.
Third, the results of the influence analysis showed that the ‘belief in children’ sub-factor of parental beliefs had a positive effect on mothers’ overall perceptions of the play-based curriculum. This indicates that the belief that children are active, autonomous, and developmentally capable strengthens positive perceptions of all aspects of the play-based curriculum—such as understanding its core principles, recognizing the value of play, and evaluating the impact of play on children’s development across all domains. In contrast, the ‘belief in parents’ sub-factor had a positive effect only on the ‘play’ sub-factor of curriculum perception. This suggests that when parents hold beliefs that involve reducing excessive parental intervention, respecting children’s autonomy, and valuing children’s choices and process-oriented learning as appropriate, they tend to place greater importance on the developmental value of play.
Both the “belief in children” and “belief in parents” sub-factors of mothers’ parental beliefs were found to have negative effects on overall perceptions of private education and all of its sub-factors. This indicates that parents who hold autonomy-supportive and child-centered beliefs—viewing children as active and autonomous learners—are less likely to expect academic or subject-matter benefits from private education. Such parents also report lower levels of private-education–related psychological factors, such as competitiveness, self-display, and conformity, as well as lower levels of negative parent–child relationship perceptions, including parental identification with the child or feelings of anxiety.
In sum, mothers’ parental beliefs were identified as a key variable that enhances positive perceptions of the play-based curriculum while reducing reliance on private education. Therefore, it is necessary to develop programs that strengthen parental beliefs by deepening parents’ understanding of child development and supporting effective parent education, and for educational institutions to consistently share the philosophy and practices of the play-based curriculum with parents in order to foster coherent collaboration between families and institutions. Such integrated support is expected to contribute to improving the quality of play-based curriculum implementation and reducing dependence on private education.