In -Service Chidcare Teachers’ Perceptions of Digital Play Support: Foucus on Digital Utilization

This study aims to analyze childcare teachers’ Perceptions and needs regarding the use of digital media and artificial intelligence (AI), and to explore their implications for practice and policy in early childhood education. Surveys and interview were conducted with childcare teachers to examine differences in digital media utilization,concerns, and support needs according to teaching experinence. The findings indicate that teachers acknowledged the necessity of digital and AI education, yet expressed strong concerns about potential negative effects, such as hindering children’s social development (35.0%), distorting self-concept (20.1%), and issues related to privacy protection (20.1%). At the same time, teachers emphasized the need for greater understanding of developmental appropriateness (28.0%), support for home-school connections (26.3%), and digital ethics education (15.7%). Notably, novice teachers were more familiar with digital tools but lacked knowledge of developmental appropriateness, whereas experienced teachers, despite their rich pedagogical expertise , showed lower confidence in technology use and greater reluctance due to burnout. At the institutional level, the lack of technological infrastructure (35.9%) and insufficient educational philosophy of directors (25.4%) were identified as key barriers. These results highlight that childcare teachers’ digital and AI practices are not merely a matter of technical competence but require integrated support encompassing developmental appropriateness, ethics, institutional leadership, and family-policy alignment. This study provides practical insights for shaping the direction of early childhood education in the digital transformation era.