영유아교사의 영아강점 구성내용에 관한 탐색연구

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examined infant strength characteristics as perceived by early childhood teachers and explored the underlying factor structure of infant strengths. Participants were 202 early childhood teachers working at childcare centers in Cheongju. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey conducted between November 18 and December 20, 2024, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with SPSS 21.0.
The results indicated that observation skills and exploratory behaviors were perceived as prominent learning strengths, whereas problem-solving and cognitive regulation were rated lower. In terms of character strengths, expressions of affection and positive affect were rated highly, while self-regulation was perceived at a lower level. For daily life strengths, play, hygiene habits, and routine performance were rated highly, whereas communal living behaviors were rated relatively low.
Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors of infant strengths: exploratory learning strengths, sensory-expressive learning strengths, character strengths, and daily life strengths. Exploratory learning strengths included items related to cognitive exploration and logical thinking; sensory-expressive learning strengths reflected sensory-based expression and creativity; character strengths represented social-emotional attributes; and daily life strengths encompassed self-regulation and self-help skills in everyday contexts.