The meaning of parental leave experienced by teachers at public daycare centers

This study aims to explore the experiences of public daycare teachers on parental leave and the educational meaning contained in it as a point of contact between the parental leave system and childcare services that are being implemented to support work-family balance in today’s society facing the problem of ultra-low birth rates. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with two current teachers at public kindergartens in Gyeonggi Province who returned to work after parental leave, and the collected data were analyzed qualitatively. The results of the study indicated that public daycare teachers were able to experience motherhood through parental leave and objectively observe the kindergarten setting. The meaning of parental leave contained in these experiences was ‘an opportunity to recognize the intrinsic value of a child's existence’ and ‘a moment to empathize with the perspectives of parents’. It was also ‘a time to pledge to grow as a good colleague’ and ‘a reflective pause to enhance future performance’. This study is significant in that it examines the experiences of daycare teachers on parental leave, which can be considered a career gap, and derives the meaning of teacher growth that occurs in the process.