The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences of mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy and characteristics of their younger children's personality depending on mothers' work life styles and thereupon, determine the effects of mothers' wo...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences of mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy and characteristics of their younger children's personality depending on mothers' work life styles and thereupon, determine the effects of mothers' work life styles on their younger children's development and thereby, explore the alternative ways to educate working mothers' younger children. For this purpose, the following study points were set up;
First, would mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy differ depending on their demographic variables and work life styles?
Second, would younger children's characteristics of personality differ depending on their mothers' demographic variables and work life styles?
Third, would mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy affect their younger children's characteristics of personality?
In order to find the answers to the above questions, the researcher sampled 300 mothers and their younger children attending 4 kindergartens and in-company children houses in Seoul for a questionnaire survey. 233 responses out of 300 were selected for analysis. The questionnaire consisted of the questions about mothers' demographic variables and work life styles, their sense of child-rearing efficacy and their children's characteristics of personality. The data collected from the survey was processed using the SPSS 13.0 for ANOVA for study points 1 and 2 and simple regression analysis for study point 3.
The significance level for each analysis was set at 5%, and in case some significant differences were found among groups as a result of ANOVA analysis, Duncan's test was conducted as ex post facto test to determine their causes.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows;
First, mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy differed significantly depending on their demographic variables. The higher academic background a mother had, she had a higher sense of child-rearing efficacy, and their age and length of marriage life were negatively correlated with their sense of child-rearing efficacy. In addition, mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy differed significantly on their working hours only among their work life styles. Namely, the longer a mother was working, she had a higher sense of child-rearing efficacy.
Second, younger children's characteristics of personality differed significantly depending on their mothers' demographic variables. Above all, mothers' academic backgrounds were correlated with their children's characteristics of personality such as stability, sociability and activeness. Namely, the higher academic background a mother had, her younger child tended to be more stable, sociable and active. On the other hand, the younger a mother was, her younger child's dominance was higher. In addition, mothers' length of marriage life was correlated with their younger children's dominance, stability, sociality and activeness. While younger children's dominance was negatively correlated with their mothers' length of marriage life, their stability, sociability and activeness were highest when their mothers had been married for 11~15 years. In overall terms, younger children's personality characteristics scored highest when their mothers had been married for 1~5 years. Next, mothers' work life styles were found to affect their younger children's personality characteristics. Above all, unprofessional working mothers' children were more dominant and impulsive, and the more professional job a mother had, her child was more stable and sociable. Furthermore, younger children with their mothers working for longer hours tended to show more desirable personality characteristics, while those with their mothers working for more years were more sociable and active.
Third, mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy was found to affect their younger children's characteristics of personality. Namely, younger children's dominance, stability, sociability, impulsiveness, considerateness and activeness were affected by mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy, and the higher mothers' sense of child-rearing efficacy was, their younger children's personality characteristics were more desirable.