This research aimed at investigating the effect of play teaching efficacy and job stress on teacher-infant interaction targeting infant class teachers of day care center. Subjects for this study were 187 infant class teachers in Seoul and Gyeonggi reg...
This research aimed at investigating the effect of play teaching efficacy and job stress on teacher-infant interaction targeting infant class teachers of day care center. Subjects for this study were 187 infant class teachers in Seoul and Gyeonggi region. The teacher-infant interaction measurement tool, play teaching efficacy and the infant class teacher's job stress measurement tool were measured via teachers’ratings. To analyze the data, the researcher calculated descriptive statistics on each variable and Pearson's product-moment correlation, also, to investigate the influence of teacher's play teaching efficacy and job stress on teacher-infant interaction, the researcher conducted multiple regression analysis.
Research results are as follows. First, infant class teachers displayed higher interaction level with infants and play teaching efficacy than normal level. Also, infant class teachers' job stress appeared lower than normal level, however when investigating according to subordinate scope, they felt job stress due to director's lack of leadership and insufficient administrative support more than relationship with colleagues or job overload. Second, as the result of investigating the influence of infant class teachers' play teaching efficacy and job stress on teacher-infant interaction, teachers' stress due to job overload and belief in play teaching efficacy had meaningful influence on teacher-infant interaction. That is, infant class teachers with less stress due to job overload and higher belief in play teaching efficacy recognized to have positive interaction with infants. In conclusion, infant class teachers' play teaching efficacy had affirmative correlation with teacher-infant interaction, while teacher's job stress had negative relation with teacher-infant interaction.