As a growing number of married women work in industry, child rearing has emerged as one of major issues that should be handled on a social level, not a personal one, and the necessity of child care gains in importance. Caregivers who actually take car...
As a growing number of married women work in industry, child rearing has emerged as one of major issues that should be handled on a social level, not a personal one, and the necessity of child care gains in importance. Caregivers who actually take care of children aren't merely responsible for protecting and caring them. In effect, they play a vital role in providing quality educational services. The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not there were any differences in job satisfaction between caregivers in private and home-based daycare centers, which accounted for the vast majority of daycare centers nationwide, and how their personal characteristics and working environments were tied into their job satisfaction. And it's also meant to explore how to boost their job satisfaction in an attempt to help enhance the quality of caregivers that was the most integral factor to offer quality daycare service.
With this in mind, the researcher came up with the following research problems.
First, what differences are there in the job satisfaction of teachers by the type of daycare center?
Second, what differences are there in the job satisfaction of teachers by the personal characteristics?
Third, what differences are there in the job satisfaction of teachers by the working environments?
The subjects in this study were 326 caregivers who worked in daycare centers in Incheon and Gyeonggi province. A survey was conducted, and as for data handling, statistical data on mean and standard deviation were secured, and t-test and one-way ANOVA were employed.
The major findings of the study were as follows:
Firstly, regarding the general characteristics of the caregivers investigated including marital status, age and total career, the largest percentage of the caregivers in private daycare centers were unmarried, under 30 and had a total career of three years or five to less than 10 years. In the event of the caregivers in home-based daycare centers, those who were married, who were in their 30s and whose total career was three to less than five years made up the largest group. As to education, acquired certificate and working hours, the greatest percentage of the former received junior-college education, and were first-grade certified caregivers, and worked for 12 hours or more a day. In the case of the latter, the largest group received gradate-school education, and acquired second-grade or less caregiver certificate, and worked for 12 hours or more. Secondly, there was no significant gap in job satisfaction between the caregivers in private and home-based daycare centers. Thirdly, concerning connections between their personal characteristics and job satisfaction, the older caregivers were more contented with their job. And those whose total career was 10 years or more expressed better satisfaction with interpersonal relationship, social approval and welfare benefits, and their job satisfaction was greater. By education, marital status and pay, those who received graduate-school education and who were married were more pleased with interpersonal relations, and the better-paid caregivers found their pay more satisfactory. Fourthly, in regard to relations between their working environments and job satisfaction, the first-grade certified caregivers were more pleased with social approval and their job, and those who worked for 10 hours found their interpersonal relationship and job itself more satisfactory. The number of class in their daycare centers made no difference to their job satisfaction.
Given the above-mentioned findings, there are some suggestions about the improvement of the job satisfaction of caregivers:
In order to stir up the job satisfaction of caregivers, their working hours and heavy workload should be scaled down. Overtime work should always be accompanied by due compensation. They should be encouraged to fare well with their supervisors and colleagues, and comfortable working environments should be created. To let them recharge their batteries, they should be allowed to take a leave of absence or to take some time off, and better welfare benefits should be offered to them. If all the conditions are satisfied, they will be able to provide infants and young children with the best daycare service. In the future, more intensive research efforts should be dedicated to raising the job satisfaction of caregivers that is one of the key elements for the supply of good daycare service.