Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions of the Characteristics, Early Screening, Intervention, and Support for At-Risk Young Children

Objectives This study examined pre-service early childhood teachers' perceptions of the characteristics, early screening, early intervention, and support for at-risk young children. Methods To achieve this, a survey was conducted with pre-service early childhood teachers attending a university in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, with reliability tests conducted, followed by frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, t-tests, F-tests, and post-hoc analyses. Results The main findings of this study are as follows: First, pre-service early childhood teachers perceived difficulties in the language development domain as the most significant characteristic of at-risk young children, while difficulties in the cognitive development domain were perceived as the least significant. Second, perceptions of early detection and early intervention were generally at a high level, with the importance of collaboration among professionals being the most highly recognized aspect of early intervention methods. Third, perceptions of institutional and governmental support also highlighted collaboration with relevant professionals as the most important area. Finally, differences in perceptions were observed based on pre-service teachers' background variables, such as academic year and experience in educational volunteering or practicum. Conclusions Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made to enhance relevant competencies in teacher preparation programs, particularly in early detection and intervention for at-risk young children.