Research Trends in Rights-Respecting Childcare in Daycare Centers Using Keyword Network Analysis

This study aims to examine research trends by using the frequency and research methods of research on respect for rights in daycare centers and keyword network analysis. To this end, 111 domestic research papers registered in KCI from 2011 to 2024 were selected through a keyword search related to respect for rights childcare and analyzed by period. As a result, first, 88 studies were published in the second period (2018-March 2024), and quantitative research was the most common research method. Second, the keyword network analysis results showed that the keywords ‘respect for rights of infants and toddlers’, ‘respect for rights of infants and toddlers’, and ‘early childhood teachers’ appeared frequently in all periods. The centrality analysis results showed that ‘respect for rights of infants and toddlers’, ‘respect for rights of infants and toddlers’, and ‘early childhood teachers’ appeared in the top keywords in all periods, and ‘early childhood rights’ was ranked high in the first period, and ‘teacher professionalism’ and ‘organizational health’ were ranked high in the second period. Through the results of this study, we identified research trends in childcare rights-respecting childcare in daycare centers and derived the need for expanding the diversity of related research. It is significant in that it suggests future directions for strengthening teacher professionalism for childcare rights-respecting childcare in childcare settings.