The Effects of Infant Teachers’ Communication Skills on Teacher-Parent Partnerships: A Focus on Workplace Childcare Centers

This study investigated how infant teachers’ communication skills impact teacher-parent partnerships in childcare centers. A total of 170 infant teachers, responsible for classes of 0-, 1-, and 2-year-olds in Daejeon, South Korea, participated in the survey. The study measured communication competence and teacher-parent cooperation, analyzing the data through descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression.<br/> The results indicated that communication skills accounted for 40% of the variance in teacher-parent partnerships. Among the subcomponents of communication, analysis, evaluation, and response had a significant influence on these partnerships. Specifically, concentration, analysis, and response were important for information sharing with single parents, while understanding and evaluation fostered a more interconnected relationship between teachers and parents.<br/> These findings suggest that communication competence is crucial for establishing effective teacher-parent partnerships, especially in infant care. Therefore, systematic training programs are recommended to enhance the communication skills of infant teachers.