The purpose of this study is to investigate how young children′s preschool adjustment and daily stress are expressed and to study their reaction to daily stress according to young children´s preschool adjustment.
For the above purpose, the followin...
The purpose of this study is to investigate how young children′s preschool adjustment and daily stress are expressed and to study their reaction to daily stress according to young children´s preschool adjustment.
For the above purpose, the following study questions were set up;
1. What is young children´s preschool adjustment?
2. What is young children´s daily stress?
3. What is daily stress according to young children´s preschool adjustment level?
3-1. What is daily stress according to young children´s preschool adjustment level when they are encountered overcriticism or violence?
3-2. What is daily stress according to young children´s preschool adjustment level when they experience anxiety or distress?
3-3. What is daily stress according to young children´s preschool adjustment level when their pride is hurt?
Participants for this study were 129 children (67 boys and 62 girls) attending four public kindergartens located in Ulju, Ulsan. Children´s average age was seventy two months(boys: seventy two months, girls: seventy three months).
To measure young children´s preschool adjustment, the Korean version(Kim, 2003) of the Preschool Adjustment Questionnaire(PAQ), originally made by Jewsuwan, Luster, and Kostelnik(1993), was used. And as a measurement of young children´s daily stress, the Korean Preschool Daily Stress Scale(KPDSS) made by Yeom(1998) was used.
To investigate young children´s preschool adjustment, we computed sub-factor´s mean and standard deviation and to investigate young children´s daily stress, we computed frequency and percentile.
To investigate the differences of young children´s daily stress by their preschool adjustment levels, young children were grouped into three clsses according to their preschool adjustment levels, namely, high, medium, and low groups based upon their preschool adjustment scores. F-tests and least significant difference tests were carried out to the young children´s daily stress scores.
Results of this study are as follows:
First, children´s preschool adjustment was the average levels. 'Positive effect within the school setting' was the sub-factor with the highest mean, followed by 'pro-social behavior', 'adjustment to school routines', 'peer competence, and ego strength '
Second, it was found that young children experienced a little daily stress. In each daily stress situation, young children experienced the highest daily stress when encountered criticized-violent situation, followed by experience anxious-distressful and hurt pride situation.
Third, with regard to young children´s daily stress by their preschool adjustment level, significant differences in hurt-pride situation were found between two preschool adjustment level groups, p< .05. Subsequent least significant difference tests revealed significant differences between medium and low preschool adjustment level groups.
With regard to young children´s daily stress by their preschool adjustment level in each daily stress situation, significant differences in every case of encounter criticized-violent situation were not found among three preschool adjustment level groups.
In case of experiencing anxious-distressful situation, 'When my mom or dad doesn't listen to me', significant differences were found between two preschool adjustment level groups, p< .05. Subsequent least significant difference tests revealed significant differences between high-medium and high-low preschool adjustment level groups.
'When I am afraid that I will be scolded by mom and dad for my wrongdoing', significant differences were found between two preschool adjustment level groups, p< .05. Subsequent least significant difference tests revealed significant differences between medium and low preschool adjustment level groups.
In case of hurt pride situation, 'When I am left out in group activity', significant differences were found between two preschool adjustment level groups, p< .05. Subsequent least significant difference tests revealed significant differences between high and medium preschool adjustment level groups. 'When my mom or dad tells me I am not good at something‘ significant differences were found between two preschool adjustment level groups, p< .05. Subsequent least significant difference tests revealed significant differences between medium and low preschool adjustment level groups. 'When my mom or dad compares me with my brothers/sisters or my friends', significant differences were found between two preschool adjustment level groups, p< .05. Subsequent least significant difference tests revealed significant differences between high-low and medium-low preschool adjustment level groups. 'When my teacher doesn't like me', significant differences were found between two preschool adjustment level groups, p< .05. Subsequent least significant difference tests revealed significant differences between high-low and medium-low preschool adjustment level groups.