• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.123-133
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• 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to achieve a qualitative understanding of childcare teachers' cooperation experiences with Nuri curriculum teaching assistants. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative research design. Participants comprised 23 childcare teachers working with Nuri curriculum teaching assistants. Focus group interviews were conducted to discuss their cooperation experience with the teaching assistants. Qualitative themes analyses were carried out following individual-level analyses, group-level analyses, and cross-group-comparisons. Results and Conclusion: The results showed that childcare teachers, at first, had low expectation for Nuri curriculum teaching assistants because they have ambiguous job descriptions. However, the teachers' actual interactions exhibited cooperation effects on improving the quality of childcare. Childcare teachers suggested the ways to promote cooperation between childcare teachers and Nuri curriculum teaching assistants at individual and systemic levels.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2016

The present research aimed to assess role expectations and job performance of childcare teaching assistants at daycare centers. In order to describe participants' experiences, qualitative data were analyzed using Van Manen's phenomenological approach. The findings showed that childcare teaching assistants suffered a gap between their role expectations and reality. They felt diverse emotions and doubt about their professionalism through interactions with teachers in charge, directors, parents, and children. The participants claimed that the Nuri curriculum teaching assistants system should be improved to achieve better quality childcare programs. The implications to support the Nuri curriculum teaching assistants system were discussed in depth.