Human Ecology Research

The Korean Home Economics Association (대한가정학회)
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Structural Relationships among 4- to 5- Year-Old Children's Playfulness, Communication Skills, and Creative Characteristics

만 4, 5세 유아의 놀이성과 의사소통 능력 및 창의적 행동특성 간의 구조적 관계

  • Chung, Mi Ra (Department of Early Childhood Education, Gachon University) ;
  • Kang, Su Kyoung (Department of Early Childhood Education, Gachon University) ;
  • Kim, Min Jeong (Sesalmaul Research Center, Gachon University)
  • 정미라 (가천대학교 유아교육학과) ;
  • 강수경 (가천대학교 유아교육학과) ;
  • 김민정 (가천대학교 세살마을연구원)
  • Received : 2015.03.07
  • Accepted : 2015.06.05
  • Published : 2015.10.30
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Abstract

This study examined the structural relationships among 4- and 5-year-old children's playfulness, communication skills, and creative characteristics. This research analyzed the direct and indirect influence of child's playfulness on communication skills and creative characteristics. The study subjects were 249 children who attend kindergartens located in the Seoul and Gyeonggi-do area. A survey questionnaire was distributed to the children's mothers and teachers. The sample was analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 program. The parameters were estimated by maximum likelihood method. The significance of indirect effect was tested by bootstrapping at .05 level. The results of this study were: (1) in both ages 4 and 5, playfulness had a direct and positive influence on communication skills, (2) in both ages, communication skills had a direct and positive effect on creative characteristics, and (3) the 5-year-old children's playfulness had a direct effect on creative characteristics, the 4-year-old children's playfulness did not exert direct influence onto creative characteristics. Communication skills 5-year-old children were seen to precipitate a partial mediation effect between playfulness and creative characteristics. At age 4, communication skills played a full mediation variable role between playfulness and creative characteristics. Discussions include suggestions to prosper creative characteristics through enhancing a child's playfulness and communication skills.

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References

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