Effects of Self-Compassion on Problem Behavior Guidance Strategies of Early Childhood Teachers: Dual-Mediating Effects of Play Beliefs and Play Teaching Efficacy

Objectives: This study aimed to verify the dual-mediating effects of play beliefs and play teaching efficacy on the effects of self-compassion on the problem -behavior guidance strategies of early childhood teachers.Methods: The participants were 257 early childhood teachers from daycare centers in Seoul and Gyeonggido. The collected data were analyzed by applying the structural equation model and bootstrapping method, using SPSS 26.0 and SPSS Amos 26.0.Results: First, self-compassion, play beliefs, play teaching efficacy, positive preventive strategies, and positive response strategies among early childhood teachers displayed significant positive correlations. In contrast, play beliefs and negative response strategies presented a significant negative correlation. Second, play beliefs and the teaching efficacy of early childhood teachers worked as dual-mediating variables in the relationship between self-compassion and problem-behavior guidance strategies.Conclusion: The findings revealed that, self-compassion, play beliefs, and play teaching efficacy among early childhood teachers are variables that contribute to individual differences in problem-behavior guidance strategies. This implies that incorporating programs aimed at enhancing self-compassion, play beliefs, and play teaching efficacy among early childhood teachers in preservice teacher training and job/refresher training related to problem behavior guidance could serve as intervention measures facilitating the adoption of preventive/positive problem behavior guidance strategies for young children. Furthermore, this suggests that linking young children’s play to educational outcomes, as well as integrating play instruction with problem behavior guidance, could be measures that accelerate the implementation of positive problem behavior guidance strategies.