KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study aimed to explore whether persistence with a hobby predicts high levels of grit and whether self-esteem mediates this relationship. Using data from the 11th, 12th, and 13th waves of the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC), this study examined the relationship between a hobby, grit, and self-esteem among 1,230 children. First, we classified the children into three groups based on the duration of participation in their hobby (no hobby, temporary hobby, continuous hobby). Next, we examined the relationship between persistence with a hobby and grit. The results showed that children in the continuous hobby group were grittier than those in the temporary hobby or no hobby group. Interestingly, no significant difference in grit was observed between children in the temporary hobby group and those in the no hobby group. Additionally, the effects of a persistent hobby on grit were fully mediated by self-esteem. This study suggests that continuous participation in a hobby can increase children’s self-esteem and contribute to the development of grit.

Questioning is the primary learning mechanism whereby children with limited knowledge actively gather information. As children grow older, their questions become more efficient. To effectively search for information, one must direct appropriate questions to suitable sources and evaluate the informativeness of the answers received. Moreover, individuals should be adept at employing strategies, such as follow-up questions, to acquire additional information. Cognitive abilities are required to navigate these processes. This review presents an overview of prior research on the developmental trajectories of children’s questioning abilities, with emphasis on the epistemic function of questions. The influence of general cognitive abilities - metacognition, probabilistic reasoning, categorization skills, and executive functions - on questioning is also reviewed. Lastly, interventions to enhance children’s questioning abilities are reviewed and areas of future research are suggested.

In this study, a comparative analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between self-concept clarity, clarity of feelings, and the mental well-being of 240 early childhood educators. The analysis was performed using SPSS 27 and Amos 26. We found that participants' self-concept clarity, clarity of feelings, and mental well-being were relatively above average. Clarity of feelings was found to completely mediate the relationship between self-concept clarity and mental well-being; however, self-concept clarity did not mediate the relationship between clarity of feelings and mental well-being. These results suggest that early childhood educators should improve their self-concept clarity through clarity of feelings to improve their mental well-being. The significance of this study is that it provides a baseline that could inform early childhood educators about the concept and importance of mental well-being.