Characteristics and Perceptions of Daycare Teachers in Relation with the Practices of Eco Early Childhood Education

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' practices of Eco Early Childhood Education (EECE) according to the characteristics and perceptions of daycare teachers, and the impacts of teachers' characteristics and perceptions on their EECE practices. The subjects in this study were 110 teachers who were worked at daycare centers in the Gyeongnam area of Korea. The teachers completed questionnaires concerning their perceptions and practices within the EECE. The collected data were analyzed by t-tests, one-way ANOVA, correlation coefficients, and regression. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The daycare teachers differed in their degree of EECE practices depending on their characteristics. 2) The daycare teachers were significantly different in their practices of EECE according to their perceptions. 3) The teachers' characteristics and perceptions of ECCE explained their practices of EECE. Particularly, teacher educational levels and the perceptions of ECCE by teachers were positively associated with their practices.