The Mediating Effect of Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship between Early Childhood Teachers' Constructivist Educational Beliefs and Teaching Creativity

This study aims to identify the mediating effect of early childhood teachers' cognitive flexibility on the relationship between constructivist educational beliefs and teaching creativity. To achieve this, questionnaires were distributed to 253 teachers from daycare centers and kindergartens in the Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Sejong areas. A total of 240 valid responses were analyzed, excluding those with significant missing items. To verify the mediating effect, SPSS 25.0 and its macro were used. The Cronbach’s α reliability coefficient was calculated to assess the scales' reliability. Additionally, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted, with mediational analysis performed according to Model 4 of the SPSS PROCESS macro. The results are as follows: First, early childhood teachers' constructivist educational beliefs were significantly positively correlated with both cognitive flexibility and teaching creativity. Second, cognitive flexibility exhibited a partial mediating effect on the relationship between constructivist educational beliefs and teaching creativity. These findings suggest the need for teacher training programs that emphasize constructivist educational philosophy. These also suggest that creating an open atmosphere is essential to improve teachers' cognitive flexibility, allowing them to try various teaching methods.