Differences and relationships in the perception of children's rights and problem behaviors between pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the perceptions of children's rights and problem behaviors between pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers and to explore how perceptions of children's rights influence perceptions of children's problem behaviors. Participants included pre-service teachers (1st to 3rd year) enrolled in early childhood education programs and in-service teachers working in Seoul and Gyeonggi provinces. Data were analyzed using MANOVA and regression analysis. The results indicated the following. First, in-service teachers demonstrated the highest awareness of children's rights, followed by first-year, third-year, and second-year pre-service teachers. Second, perceptions of problem behaviors were highest among third-year pre-service teachers, while second-year pre-service teachers showed the lowest awareness across most subdomains. In-service teachers reported lower awareness than third-year pre-service teachers. Third, a significant relationship was found between the perception of children's rights and the perception of problem behaviors. Specifically, awareness of general principles positively predicted perceptions of problem behaviors, whereas awareness of protective rights negatively predicted them. These findings suggest that teacher preparation programs should adopt a balanced and developmentally appropriate approach to rights and behavior education, integrating theoretical knowledge with meaningful practice-based learning opportunities.