Differences in Professional Development According to Types of Training and Education Support for Childcare Teachers

This study aimed to investigate the differences in professional development among childcare teachers based on the types of training and education support they received. To do this, we conducted a two-step cluster analysis using data from 335 childcare teachers working at daycare centers in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Daejeon, and Busan, focusing on their training and education support experiences. From the analysis, we identified five distinct clusters, each representing a unique pattern of training and education support. A one-way ANOVA was then performed to assess differences in perceptions of professional development, revealing statistically significant differences in the subdomain related to self-understanding development. This study is significant as it categorizes the current state of training and education support through two-step cluster analysis and offers data-driven strategies to enhance the professional development of childcare teachers.