The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between early childhood teachers’ self-efficacy and play-centered pedagogical competence, and to investigate the mediating effects of work engagement and social support in this relationship. ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between early childhood teachers’ self-efficacy and play-centered pedagogical competence, and to investigate the mediating effects of work engagement and social support in this relationship. The participants were 952 early childhood teachers working in childcare centers nationwide. Following a pilot study, the main survey was conducted. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0, and statistical analyses included t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The mediating effects were verified using the bootstrapping method. The major findings of this study are as follows. First, play-centered pedagogical competence showed significant positive correlations with teachers’ self-efficacy, work engagement, and social support. Multiple regression analysis revealed that teachers’ self-efficacy and social support had significant effects on play-centered pedagogical competence, whereas work engagement did not have a direct effect. In the subfactor analysis, instructional efficacy and informational support were identified as significant predictors of play-centered pedagogical competence. Second, the results of the structural equation modeling indicated that teachers’ self-efficacy had significant effects on both work engagement and social support, and that social support functioned as a significant mediating variable influencing play-centered pedagogical competence. Although work engagement did not have a direct effect on play-centered pedagogical competence, a significant sequential mediating effect was found in the pathway from teachers’ self-efficacy to play-centered pedagogical competence through work engagement and social support. These findings suggest that early childhood teachers’ play-centered pedagogical competence is not only directly explained by teachers’ self-efficacy as a personal psychological resource, but is also strengthened through environmental resources such as social support. In particular, work engagement plays a meaningful role in the process by which teachers’ self-efficacy is translated into practical competence through social support, rather than exerting a direct influence. This study empirically verifies the process-oriented structural relationships among teachers’ self-efficacy, work engagement, and social support, and provides implications for establishing systematic support strategies to enhance play-centered pedagogical competence in early childhood education settings.