Focusing on Core Competencies, Character, and Teaching Efficacy

Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the school-based practicum semester system for pre-service early childhood teachers. To verify the effectiveness of the school-based practicum semester system, it was focused on the core competencies, character, and teaching efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers. Methods The study participants consisted of 188 third-year students from the early childhood education departments of five universities in the Capital area and Gwangju. They were divided into an experimental group of 104 students who participated in the school-based practicum semester system and a control group of 84 students who did not. Pre- and post-tests were conducted before and after the practicum, followed by an analysis of covariance(ANCOVA). Results The results of the analyses indicated that the pre-service early childhood teacher group that implemented the school-based practicum semester system demonstrated improvements in total score and sub-factor scores for core competencies, character, and teaching efficacy. Conclusions The school-based practicum semester system, which requires more than 360 hours of completion over a semester, can be considered effective in enhancing the core competencies, character, and teaching efficacy of pre-service early childhood teachers. It is suggested that future research should analyze the effectiveness of the system by considering not only the temporal context but also the detailed operational structure of the school-based practicum semester system.