A Study on Variables Associated with the Creative Personality of Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers

This study examined the mediating effects of ego-resilience and teaching competency in the relationship between empathy and creative personality among pre-service early childhood teachers. The participants were 239 pre-service early childhood teachers enrolled in universities located in the Gangwon, Gyeonggi, and Chungcheong regions of South Korea. The sequential mediation effect was analyzed using AMOS statistical software. The data analysis revealed significant positive correlations among empathy, ego-resilience, teaching competency, and creative personality. Furthermore, empathy was found to have a positive influence on creative personality, and both ego-resilience and teaching competency were confirmed as mediating variables in this relationship. These findings suggest that empathy, ego-resilience, and teaching competency are important factors in the development of creative personality in pre-service early childhood teachers. The study highlights the need for further research into various related variables that influence the creative personality of future early childhood educators.