영아의 기질과 교사의 놀이 관련 특성이 2세반 영아의 상상놀이에 미치는 영향

Effects of Toddler Temperament and Teacher’s Play-Related Characteristics on Imaginative Play in Two-Year-Old Classrooms

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of children’s characteristics and childcare teachers’ attributes on the frequency and level of imaginative play in two-year-old classrooms. Methods: The study involved 191 toddlers, their mothers, and 32 teachers from childcare centers. Toddler characteristics encompassed temperament along with demographic variables such as gender and age. Teacher’ attributes related to play included playfulness, play-support belief, and interactions with toddlers. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and HLM 8.2 software, employing basic analysis, hierarchical linear analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: First, as toddlers’ age increased, both the frequency and level of their imaginative play increased. Second, individual-level model analysis revealed a positive effect of toddlers’ extroversion on the level of imaginative play. Third, the class-level model results indicated that teachers’ emotions had a negative effect, whereas their encouragement positively influenced the level of imaginative play. Conclusion/Implications: The significance of this study lies in its utilization of a multilayered model analysis, which offers a more robust examination of variable influences by accounting for hierarchical data structures.