This study focused on the central role of childcare teachers in practicing childcare that respects infant rights and explored the key factors influencing these practices. To achieve the research objective, the relationships among childcare teachers’...
This study focused on the central role of childcare teachers in practicing childcare that respects infant rights and explored the key factors influencing these practices. To achieve the research objective, the relationships among childcare teachers’ emotional intelligence, sensitivity, and infant rights–respecting childcare were examined, focusing on the mediating effect of sensitivity.
Based on the premise that childcare that respects infant rights is a key factor in determining childcare quality, this study aimed to identify the variables that influence the respect and practice of infant rights in childcare settings. To this end, this study examined the effects of childcare teachers’ emotional intelligence and sensitivity on infant rights–respecting childcare, with a particular focus on the mediating role of sensitivity in this relationship. The study subjects included 171 childcare teachers working in daycare centers, including teachers for infants and toddlers aged 0-2 and teachers in mixed-use classes. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire measuring childcare that respects infant rights, teacher emotional intelligence, and sensitivity. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 19.0 to analyze descriptive statistics and correlations between child rights-respecting care, teacher emotional intelligence, and sensitivity. Model 4 in SPSS Process Macro (v4.2) was used to examine the mediating effect of sensitivity on the relationship between teacher emotional intelligence and child rights-respecting care.
The results of this study are as follows. First, both the effect of teacher emotional intelligence on child rights-respecting care (B = .98, p < .001) and the effect of teacher emotional intelligence on sensitivity (B = .98, p < .001) were significant. Second, teacher emotional intelligence significantly influenced child rights-respecting care through sensitivity (B = .84, p < .001).
This study confirmed that teacher emotional intelligence and sensitivity were key factors influencing child rights-respecting care, and that sensitivity acted as a mediating variable in the relationship between emotional intelligence and child rights-respecting care. The results of this study demonstrate that sensitive caregivers, who possess a high ability to recognize, regulate, and respond appropriately to infants and toddlers’ emotions and are sensitive to their signals and expressions, demonstrate higher levels of childcare that respects infant rights. This suggests that enhancing teachers’ emotional intelligence and sensitivity can enhance the implementation of childcare that respects infant rights. Therefore, systematically strengthening teacher emotional intelligence and sensitivity is essential to fostering a childcare environment that respects infant rights in daycare centers. In particular, ongoing training and support to develop teachers’ emotional competencies are essential to fostering sensitive responses to infants’ signals and emotionally respectful interactions. This study serves as a foundation for developing teacher training programs and establishing related policies to promote childcare that respects infants’ rights based on emotional intelligence and sensitivity.