Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association 2005;43(5):131-147.
미국 내 거주하는 한국 국적을 가진 아동의 초기 학교 적응에 관한 연구 - 언어발달과 어머니의 영향 중심으로 -
Understanding of foreign-born Korean Children's Early School Adjustment in the U.S - Language Development and Maternal Influences -
S O-Jung Seo
Dept. of Early Childhood Education, College of Education, Ewha Womans Univ.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to provide a better understanding of foreign-born Korean children's early school adjustment in the U.S. The interaction between the foreign-born Korean children in the U.S. and several of the children's microsystems, including family, school, and peer was assessed to meet this purpose. The study subjects were 43 foreign-bom Korean children who were sampled from Korean Sunday Language schools and who attended local schools in the Boston area, MA, USA. Quantitative analysis was conducted to identify which variables of interest predicted the early adjustment of this group of children. Furthermore, in-depth interviews were conducted with mothers of the children from the top and bottom groups 1) the most successful (in the top quartile) and 2) the least successful adjustment groups (in the bottom quartile) sorted by scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R). The interview results were analyzed to elicit maternal perceptions/beliefs on education, in general, and those of home-school relationships, in specific. Several conclusions can be drawn from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses. The results of multiple regression and path analysis showed that the children's language development predicted their adjustment, but the effects of the other two variables, peer relationships and school experiences, on the adjustment of children, were mediated through the children's language. Moreover, common themes and patterns in the responses to a series of open-ended questions emerged from the interviews with the two groups of mothers. The two mothers of the least successful group were concerned about their children's future and school success, but thev did not show anv responsive attitudes toward achieving this goal. By contrast, the mothers from the most successful group were self-determined with regard to their children's education and had strong beliefs and values on how to raise their children in the new culture. The implications were discussed.
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