The Structural Relationship Between Early Childhood Teachers’ Variables Affecting the Practice of Early Childhood Music Education

Objectives The purpose of this study is to identify the structural relationship between early childhood teaches’ musical interest, music self-concept, knowledge for early childhood music activities, attitude toward early childhood music education, and the practice of early childhood music education. Through this, this study seeks the ways to support teacher education, and intended to provide a practical and theorietical basis for increasing the effictiveness of music education in early childhood education. Methods The participants of this study were 278 kindergarten teachers in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and the data was analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0. To ensure the validity of the research model, convergent validity and discriminant validity were verified. In structural equation model, after checking the research model fit index, Afterwards, path analysis was performed and the direct effect, indirect effect, and total effect were verified. And through bootstrapping, the statistical significance of mediation effect was confirmed. Results As a result, it was found that musical self-concept, knowledge for early childhood music activities, attitude toward early childhood music education had a mediating effect in the relationship between the musical interest and the practice of early childhood music education. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of early childhood teachers not only having an interest in music but also cultivating a positive perception of their musical abilities, acquiring systematic knowledge of music activities, and fostering a favorable attitude toward music education. To enhance the quality of early childhood music education practices, it is essential to promote teachers' interest in music while simultaneously strengthening teacher education programs and implementing educational initiatives that expand their knowledge of early childhood music activities and support the development of positive attitudes toward music education.