한국 영유아 교육·보육 패널 연구 2024 (Korean ECEC Panel Study)

Abstract

The Korean Early Childhood Education and Care Panel Study aims to collect longitudinal data on the growth and development of young children, as well as their surrounding environmental systems, including caregiving in homes, intrinsic and extrinsic parental factors, educational and caregiving experiences in institutions, and environmental influences from the prenatal stage through infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood. This study is conducted to identify the factors influencing the growth and development of infants and young children, and to build foundational data for evaluating and formulating policies that support the happy and healthy lives for young children. A variety of research methods were completed to conduct this study, including literature review, investigation(3rd wave), expert advisory meetings, conference and data briefing. The third wave of 2024 will be conducted with a valid sample of 2,840 individuals who have participated in either the first or second wave. The primary caregiver and the parent surveys will be conducted using a combination of in-home interviews and online surveys, while the childcare center teacher survey will be conducted online. The survey covers child characteristics, the family’s parenting environment (parental and household characteristics), education and childcare environment (characteristics of childcare institutions and childcare support services), and community and policy environment. Additionally, an extra sample of 436 individuals is being collected. The nationwide list of childcare centers will be used as the sampling frame, and after obtaining cooperation from the institutions, households with young children will be recruited. The 2024 report presents the findings from the second survey conducted in 2023. A total of 2,555 children participated in the second survey (primary caregiver survey), with 2,042 mothers and 1,473 fathers responding. Additionally, 309 teachers participated in the institutional survey. The key findings are as follows. (Child Characteristics) 1) The average age at which children began using digital media was between 12 and 14 months. However, the earliest age of use was 0 months, indicating that some children are exposed to digital media shortly after birth. For households with rules about digital media use, 42.6% of families reported having such rules, and among them, about 74.0% of them said they follow these rules. 2) Children most often visit the hospital for respiratory diseases, followed by gastrointestinal disorders. 3) The average weight of children was 11.50 kg, and the average height was 82.83 cm. Compared to the ‘2017 Growth Charts for Children and Adolescents’, the average weight of the children in the panel falls within or slightly above the average range, while their average height is within the average range. (Parenting Environment) 1) In terms of smartphone overuse, most parents were categorized as regular users, but about 10% fell into the potential risk and high-risk groups. 2) Parents’ demographic or socioeconomic background contributed to differences in psychological characteristics such as self-esteem and grit. Parental depression levels are concerning and require attention. 3) The primary caregivers are mainly the mother, and both physical and financial burden associated with childcare are relatively high. 4) 96.9% of fathers and 50.9% of mothers are employed. (Childcare and Education Environment) 61.2% of children attend childcare centers, and 37.7% utilize part-time childcare services. Of those receiving private education, 0.9% attend institutions for more than half a day, 11.7% attend cultural centers, and 1.2% use learning materials or private tutoring. (Community and Policy Environment) 1) Parents' preferred childcare support policies directions were: "Increase allowances or fees" followed by "Strengthening the systems that allow parents to care for their children" and "Enhancing childcare support functions of institutions." 2) Among cash support policies, the "child allowance" was rated as the most important, while the policy with the highest satisfaction was "parental benefits." 3) Among in-kind/voucher-related childcare support systems, "childcare fee support" was considered the most important, and the "diaper/formula milk support program." was the most satisfactory. 4) The most satisfying policies were paternal leave for fathers and remote work systems for mothers, with both fathers and mothers rating parental leave as the most important policy. (Additional Findings) 1) The average time spent in institutions was 3 hours and 57 minutes. Regarding socialization and leisure activities, 78.3% of infants participated in outdoor play on weekdays and 93.0% on weekends, while 26.8% participated in indoor play on weekdays and 51.8% on weekends. The media usage rate was relatively high at 44.8% on weekdays and 63.8% on weekends, and the average usage time was 24 minutes on weekdays and 41 minutes on weekends, with a slight increase on weekends. 2) In terms of expressive vocabulary development, 7.78% of the children were suspected to be developmental delays, and 5.63% required ongoing observation. 3) Parents rated their own interaction score as 51.0 points (out of 84), while their children's interaction behavior score was 58.57 points (out of 100), suggesting the need for further analysis. The following are the future plans: (Survey Strategy) 1) Minimize changes in the content of the survey to maintain stability and continuity. 2) Conduct in-depth surveys periodically and conduct supplementary surveys or interviews at specific times to cover topics not covered in the main survey. (Panel Management Strategy) 1) Maintain the online research method. 2) Promote the panel study findings through infographics and card news. 3) Develop strategies to build rapport with panel households. 4) Award certificates of appreciation to panel households and participating research institutions. 5) Organize parent education events on key topics related to child-rearing. (Research Recommendations) 1) Deeper analysis of K-DST results. 2) Study of panel children’s daily activities. 3) Research on the digital media use of parents and children. 4) Study of parental depression. 5) Research on low-income households and multicultural households. 6) Analysis of the characteristics of drop-out groups.