An Analysis of Importance–Performance Perceptions of Play Support Competency among Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers According to Practicum Experience (IPA)

Key Points

• The study investigates how practicum experience affects pre-service early childhood teachers' importance and performance in play support competency.
• Participants included 366 pre-service early childhood teachers from Seoul and Gyeonggi regions.
• Data were analyzed using paired samples t-test and Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA).
• Identified key areas for improvement based on differing practicum experiences.
• Experienced pre-service teachers prioritized improvements in play development and interest-based planning.
• Inexperienced pre-service teachers focused on educational content planning, facilitative questioning, and individual assessments as primary improvement areas.
• Findings suggest differentiated training for teachers based on their practicum experience.

Abstract