The Effect of Professional Learning Environment of Early Childhood Education Institutions on Early Chilehood Teachers’ Role Perfomance : Sequential Mediating Effects of Professionalism Perception and Teacher Efficacy

With the increasing utilization of early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions in South Korea—driven by policies supporting free childcare and parenting assistance—there is growing interest in the factors that enable early childhood teachers to perform their roles effectively, which are foundational to the quality of ECEC. This study examined the sequential mediating effects of teachers’ professionalism perception and teacher efficacy in the relationship between the professional learning environment of ECEC institutions and teachers’ role performance. A total of 399 early childhood teachers working in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province participated in the study, with data collected via an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were conducted as preliminary analyses, followed by Pearson’s correlation analysis. The main analysis employed SPSS PROCESS Macro Model 6 to test sequential mediation, and bootstrapping was used to verify the statistical significance of the mediating effects. The findings revealed that the professional learning environment had both direct and indirect effects on teachers’ role performance, with teachers’ professionalism perception and teacher efficacy serving as significant sequential mediators. These results highlight the importance of psychological factors in internalizing external support and translating it into professional practice. The study suggests that ECEC institutions should cultivate environments that enhance teachers’ professionalism perception and efficacy, thereby contributing to the overall quality of early childhood education.