醫學專業精神是醫學教育的核心能力，醫師被要求需展現淵博的醫學知識、醫術精湛，且能善盡照護病人職責，因此在醫師的養成過程，除需培養醫學專業能力，更要提升以病人福祉為中心的態度和行為，重視倫理操守及社會責任核心價值的醫學專業認同（medical professional identity）。而醫學專業認同形成（Professional Identity Formation, PIF）是一種持續動態的變化過程，由於探討PIF的相關因素研究鮮少，是以，本研究目的在探討臺灣醫學生、住院醫師和主治醫師PIF的現況及比較形成PIF的相關因素。本橫斷式研究以中部某醫學大學 及其附設醫院的實習醫學生及醫師為對象，使用日本學者Tagawa於2019年發展與效化的中譯本，量測醫學生、住院醫師和主治醫師PIF的四個階段（imperial/SAS-2、interpersonal/SAS-3， institutional/SAS-4及inter-individual/SAS-H）。本研究以便利取樣選取182份有效問卷，填答醫學專業認同特定屬性量表中譯本，再以描述性統計、t檢定、單因子變異數及Spearman相關進行資料分析。結果顯示，SAS-4的平均分數最高，顯示整體研究對象呈現高階專業認同。在高階認同中，男性的得分顯著高於女性；專業認同隨著年齡的增長而增加，36歲以上年齡組在高層次認同表現顯著高於30歲以下年齡組。執業經歷階段分析顯示，在SAS-4及SAS-H階段，新進住院醫師（PGY1和PGY2）的專業認同得分顯著低於實習醫學生、資深住院醫師及主治醫師。本研究發現有助於醫療體系瞭解臺灣醫師專業認同養成的現狀，呼籲應對新進住院醫師及女醫師積極建構有效的輔導與支持系統，可供未來進一步研究參考。 Background and Purpose Professional identity formation (PIF) is the process by which individuals internalize the values, behaviors, and ethical standards of the medical profession, and– together with clinical competence–it is regarded as a foundational pillar of medical education. In Taiwan, where medical training is shaped by intense academic pressure and hierarchical clinical settings, nurturing a stable, reflective professional identity is especially critical. The 2003 SARS outbreak prompted the launch of a nationwide Post-Graduate Year (PGY) program to remedy gaps in generalist knowledge and skills among young doctors and specialists. A subsequent reform in 2013 shortened undergraduate medical education from seven to six years; within this structure, the 2 years PGY training ensures that every medical graduate can manage undifferentiated patients before entering specialty training. Nevertheless, early-career physicians often experience identity instability as they shift abruptly from student clerkships to licensed PGY doctors in non-structured and fragmented support systems. Because PIF influences how practitioners interpret their roles, engage with patients and colleagues, and resolve ethical dilemmas, understanding its development trajectory is essential. Yet, despite growing global interest in developmental and socialization perspectives, empirical studies on career stage-based identity progression and demographic moderators remain scarce in Taiwan. This study therefore examines PIF among medical clerks and physicians at different career stages and analyses how identity stage correlates with gender, age, and clinical experience. Literature Review PIF in medicine is a dynamic, lifelong endeavor shaped by both individual development and the psychosocial context. Classical frameworks– Piaget’s cognitive development, Kohlberg’s moral reasoning, and Erikson’s psychosocial stages– conceive identity as a progression toward ever-more complex understandings of self and others. Kegan’s constructive-developmental theory extends this tradition, portraying adulthood as a series of qualitatively distinct meaning-making structures. Based on Kegan’s model, Tagawa (2019) created the Stage-specific Attribute Scales (SASs), which capture four successive levels of medical professional identity: SAS-2 (imperial balance), SAS-3 (interpersonal balance), SAS-4 (institutional balance), and SAS-H (inter-individual balance). These stages trace a trajectory from rule-bound conformity to the internalization of values and the reflective integration of multiple perspectives. The SASs have been employed in East-Asian settings such as Japan, illuminating how learners negotiate professional roles amid distinctive cultural expectations. Whereas Western models often foreground autonomy and individualism, East-Asian contexts must reconcile collectivist values with entrenched institutional hierarchies. Preliminary studies suggest that gender, age, and clinical experience influence identity growth; yet Taiwanese data remain sparse. In particular, the role conflicts encountered by female trainees and the transition stress of early-stage PGY physicians are under-explored. A culturally attuned understanding of PIF is therefore essential for guiding research, curriculum design, and support systems in Taiwan’s medical education. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered to 182 participants drawn from a medical university and its affiliated teaching hospital in central Taiwan. The participants comprised fifth- and sixth-year medical students (medical clerks), PGY 1-2 residents, senior residents (R3–fellows), and attending physicians. All participants completed the Chinese version of the Stage-specific Attribute Scales (SASs)– 27 items that gauge identity attributes across four developmental stages– using a seven-point Likert scale. The stage with the highest mean score was taken as each respondent’s dominant identity level. Data analysis included descriptive statistics; repeated-measures ANOVA to compare stage scores within individuals; independent-sample t tests and one-way ANOVA for between-group differences; and Spearman correlations to explore associations between background variables and identity scores. Construct validity was evaluated via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The study protocol received Institutional Review Board approval, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Results (1) Stage profile. Mean scores peaked at the institutional balance level (SAS-4, M = 5.66), followed by SAS-3 and SAS-H, whereas the imperial balance stage (SAS-2, M = 4.27) was lowest. This pattern indicates that most respondents have progressed beyond ego-centered rule compliance. (2) Gender. Male participants scored significantly higher than females on both SAS-4 and SAS-H (p< .05), implying that current clinical structures may pose greater barriers to advanced identity integration for female trainees. (3) Age. Respondents aged ≥ 36 years outperformed those < 30 on SAS-4 and SAS-H (p < .01), suggesting a positive association between age, accumulated life experience, and professional maturity. (4) Career stage. PGY 1-2 residents recorded significantly lower SAS-4 and SAS-H scores than both medical clerks and attending physicians, pointing to possible identity regression or instability during early postgraduate training. Discussion and Recommendations This study confirms that professional identity formation (PIF) is a staged, yet nonlinear journey shaped by both personal characteristics and contextual forces. Although increased age and clinical exposure are linked to higher-level identity stages, the gender gap and the dip in identity strength among early postgraduate residents reveal structural and psychosocial shortcomings in Taiwan’s training system. For PGY-1-2 doctors, the abrupt shift from student clerk to fully accountable practitioner can create dissonance between clinical workload, external expectations and internal readiness, underscoring the need for strengthened transitional scaffolding. Similarly, the lower scores among female participants may reflect implicit bias, role conflict, or a lack of gender-responsive mentorship within clinical environments. To foster identity development across the career continuum, educators and institutions should adopt stage-specific strategies– structured mentoring, interprofessional learning, narrative-medicine workshops, and reflective-practice groups– while ensuring regular formative feedback. Support programs for early-career residents should emphasize emotional resilience, role clarity, and opportunities for self-assessment. At the policy level, accreditation bodies could embed identity formation explicitly into competency-based medical education frameworks and audit the availability of supportive structures. Creating learning environments that are inclusive, supportive, and developmentally responsive is essential for sustainable professional growth. Future research should employ longitudinal and mixed methods designs to trace identity trajectories and to examine how sociocultural values interact with professional development in diverse medical contexts.
儘管全英語課程（English as a Medium of Instruction, EMI）已成為全球高等教育的發展趨勢，然而，EMI課程在臺灣之實施仍存在諸多挑戰。為了幫助大一學生有效掌握EMI學習方式，本研究旨在探討一門大一EMI必修課程的教材選用發展策略與修正歷程，嘗試透過可理解性輸入、跨語言實踐策略及多模態教材的融入，逐步發展教材輔助與應用策略。本研究採用設計本位研究法，經歷三個階段的設計，每一階段涵蓋「準備」、「設計」、「實施」與「修正」四個過程。研究結果顯示，經過三階段設計後，在教材選擇與輔助方面，發展出主 題式文本選擇，並輔以多媒體導讀影片，可幫助學生更好地理解教材內容；在教材應用方面，亦發展出課前、課中、課後多項策略，以深化學生學習。最後，本研究於結論與建議中反思研究歷程，並提出對未來研究與教學的實務建議。 Research Motivation and Purpose As English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) becomes central to global higher education, Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 policy also aims to enhance students’ English proficiency and international competitiveness. However, implementing EMI presents considerable challenges, particularly for freshmen with limited English skills. This study seeks to explore the selection and application of teaching materials in a compulsory freshman EMI course, employing a design-based research (DBR) approach to iteratively improve instructional design and enhance student learning outcomes. Literature Review Prior research highlights cognitive, linguistic, and emotional challenges in EMI contexts, including foreign language anxiety, limited comprehension of academic texts, and reduced classroom participation. Theoretical underpinnings include comprehensible input (Krashen, 1982), translanguaging (Cenoz & Gorter, 2021), multimodal learning (Lin, 2016), and flipped classroom strategies (Al-Samarraie et al., 2020). Teachers’ beliefs, material design, and focus on student needs are critical for EMI success. Research Method The study employed a three-phase DBR framework, with each phase comprising preparation, design, implementation, and revision stages. Data were collected through student needs surveys, course evaluations, interviews, reflective journals, learning portfolios, and institutional course evaluations. The research team utilized coding, thematic analysis, and triangulation to ensure analytical rigor. Research Results Phase 1 (2022, Fall): - Preparation: Selected an open-access English textbook without Mandarin translation; - Design: Planned weekly topics and employed lecture-based methods; - Implementation: Provided pre-recorded videos and bilingual glossaries; - Revision: Added Mandarin explanations and simplified key concepts in slides after students reported comprehension difficulties. Phase 2 (2022, Spring): - Preparation: Introduced flipped learning and multimodal materials; - Design: Combined text annotations, videos, and local case examples; - Implementation: Delivered mixed-language guided videos and connected theory to local issues; - Revision: Reduced reading load, integrated student feedback, and encouraged reflective thinking. Phase 3 (2023, Fall): - Preparation: Collaborated with a team to adopt a thematic, multimodal curriculum; - Design: Created online quizzes, student-led reading groups, and integrated AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT); - Implementation: Used simplified slides with visual cues and facilitated student-led discussions; - Revision: Uploaded lecture slides post-class, supported independent learning, and refined assignments based on student needs. Discussion and Suggestions This study highlights that flexible material selection, multimodal resources, and translanguaging strategies effectively reduce students’ cognitive overload and enhance engagement in EMI classrooms. Through continuous reflection and collaboration, the teaching team designed a course that helped students gradually progress from dependence on scaffolds toward greater autonomy in learning. To build on these findings, several suggestions are offered. First, instructors should carefully select thematic, multimodal, and locally relevant materials that align with students’ needs and interests. Providing bilingual scaffolding and clear explanations of key concepts is essential to support comprehension. Incorporating flipped classroom approaches and collaborative tasks can further foster active student engagement and participation. Additionally, integrating generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, offers new opportunities for enhancing learning interactions and deepening understanding. Prioritizing teacher professional development in EMI pedagogy remains critical for sustaining high-quality instruction. Finally, future research should explore the long-term impacts of these strategies on students’ language proficiency, disciplinary knowledge, and their ability to become autonomous learners. Limitations and Contributions Since this study focused solely on a first-year compulsory course related to education, the findings may not be generalizable to EMI courses in other colleges or universities. In particular, this research primarily concentrated on the selection and application of teaching materials; therefore, topics such as course design or pedagogical approaches fall outside the study’s scope and represent its limitations. Future studies could explore various intervention strategies tailored to EMI courses across different disciplines, student year levels, and subject characteristics. Nonetheless, as this study adopted a design-based research approach to examine the selection, support, and application of course materials, it yielded two main contributions through its three-phase process: Firstly, we shifted from using a full English-language textbook to a theme-based course design, emphasizing quality over quantity to reduce students’ cognitive load. This approach effectively integrated reading materials, alleviated reading pressure, and enhanced learning outcomes by promoting the understanding of core concepts. To support learning, we replaced audio-based previews with multimedia videos that included visual aids and highlighted key points. This combination of visual and auditory elements facilitated intuitive comprehension and further improved learning outcomes. Secondly, the study recommends that EMI instructors implement supportive strategies before, during, and after class to enhance students’ comprehension of course materials. For instance, assessing students’ preparedness for asynchronous self-study can encourage independent thinking and proactive questioning. Incorporating AI-assisted interactive design promotes higher-order thinking and metacognitive strategies, enabling instructors to tailor instruction to learners’ needs while fostering autonomy and critical thinking skills. In the classroom, lectures were divided into mini-lectures, each followed by interactive group discussions. These sessions provided opportunities for students to exchange ideas, reflect on the content, and raise questions, thereby deepening their understanding and preparing them for English oral expression. This approach fostered active engagement and deeper learning. Instructors also incorporated diverse formats such as role-plays and case studies to increase engagement and participation. Presentation materials were redesigned to incorporate multimodal resources and translanguaging strategies, enhancing both classroom interaction and content comprehension. By combining visual and auditory cues with Chinese annotations, students were better able to grasp key concepts and reduce anxiety related to English comprehension. Small group-led reading activities further built a sense of learning community and promoted peer interaction, increasing engagement and deepening understanding through shared discussions. For post-class assignments, we replaced the full-term learning portfolio with weekly reflection worksheets, which reduced the overall workload and clarified the weekly course structure. This adjustment helped students better organize the course content and supported knowledge retention through structured review and reflection. While these findings provide valuable insights for EMI instruction, the research team recommends further exploration of instructional materials and learning supports. For example, a multimedia repository or website with organized content by topic or unit– featuring guided previews and summaries– could help students access and use relevant materials more efficiently. Generative AI could also be used to produce practice questions, quizzes, and summaries to support students’ comprehension and retention. In addition, AI could generate differentiated texts based on learners’ proficiency levels, enabling personalized learning paths within EMI contexts. Future practices should aim to further integrate multimedia tools to encourage self-directed learning and incorporate task-based activities with built-in feedback mechanisms to increase engagement. Exploring real-time feedback systems may also enhance teacher-student interaction and provide scaffolding for English language production. Finally, assessment strategies should be continuously refined based on student feedback and learning outcomes to ensure ongoing improvement in instructional quality.
108國語文課綱要求學生具備閱讀白話文與文言文這兩種不同文體之能力，然閱讀文言文的困難，包含字詞解釋以及篇章主旨的理解，為此，本研究以真實的文言文寓言為材料，檢視成熟讀者是否能跨越文言文字詞解釋的困難，正確地擷取篇章主旨。寓言是文言文的入門教材，能讓學生連結古人的生活經驗，深化人與人之間的關係，以及待人處世的道理，寓言文章獨特地連結敘事為主的故事和說理來表達文章主旨的寓意，寓意的寫作技巧包含明顯的直接書寫或隱微的含蓄象徵。本研究採用眼球追蹤技術記錄大學生讀者閱讀這兩種類型寓 言文章的歷程，對比在故事及寓意注意力的分布，也分析字詞解釋、文章整合及推論理解三種層次的閱讀理解表現。研究顯示，當閱讀「寓意明顯文章」時，寓意段落的重讀時間比故事段落短，可能因為寓意明顯，讓讀者直接達成內在連貫性的標準，獲取篇章主旨。但是，閱讀「寓意隱微文章」時，寓意段落的重讀時間比故事長，顯示讀者需要花較多時間推論隱微的寓意，才能達成連貫性的標準，獲取篇章主旨。讀者花時間關注的段落，顯示其理解表現較佳。本研究提供教師文言文教學的注意事項，建議引導學生注意文章段落的屬性，把各句意義與段落意涵形成連貫性的理解，亦可提供適性化的篇章理解教學。 Introduction The curriculum guidelines for 12-year basic education require students to comprehend various literary genres in both vernacular and classical Chinese. However, students often fail to reach a deep understanding of classical Chinese. Previous studies have shown that although word decoding is the main difficulty in understanding classical Chinese, students can employ top-down reading strategies, such as causal and context inference, to extract the gist of the texts. Given these considerations, this study introduced classical Chinese fables as reading materials because fables are unique in their structures. A fable consists of two distinctive text types: the story and the moral. The story serves as the surface structure or vehicle, and the moral, presented in an expository form, serves as the main topic of the fable. Readers may infer the gist by constructing meaning from the story’s framework or extracting the main idea from the moral paragraph. By using fables, this study aimed to use eye-tracking technology to closely investigate how readers process the story and moral paragraphs when reading classical Chinese fables. Previous studies showed that the moral paragraph plays an important role in comprehending fables. Without the explicit moral paragraph, it is difficult to infer the gist of the fables. However, two written skills are used for the moral: one explicitly states the main concept, while the other expresses it more implicitly. Both are commonly seen in classical Chinese fables. It is worth investigating the reading process in these two types of fables. According to the construction-integration model, readers need to construct the propositions and integrate them with prior knowledge to reach the coherence of texts. The factors that drive readers to form a coherent mental representation of a text are closely related to their standard of coherence— the level of coherence they aim to maintain while reading. When coherence between paragraphs is strong, readers can meet their standard of coherence without additional processing strategies, passively accepting the content without increasing reading time. However, when coherence between paragraphs is weak, readers must actively process the text until coherence is established. Although this process demands greater cognitive resources and time for inference, it ultimately enhances comprehension. In other words, actively activating information and inference-making during reading affects readers’ memory representations. Given that reading is a dynamic, interactive process that involves cognitive processing to establish coherence between paragraphs, this study examines how readers create coherence between the story and moral paragraphs in classical Chinese fables to provide practical instructional recommendations for effectively teaching fables. Specifically, we investigate whether university students can extract the main idea of fables despite encountering challenging vocabulary. To further explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying this process, eye-tracking technology was used to examine whether students focus more on the story or moral paragraph while inferring the fable's main idea. Method Sixty-two graduate and undergraduate students were recruited, except those who majored in classical Chinese. Four fables were used, two with explicit and two with implicit morals. Each fable consisted of two paragraphs: one presenting the story and the other the moral. In explicit moral fables, the moral paragraph clearly and directly states the gist of the story. In contrast, the implicit-moral fables employed metaphors in the moral paragraph, using indirect analogies to connect the moral to the story’s events. The post-comprehension test collected data to measure three types of questions: decoding, integrating, and inference. Decoding questions measured readers’ understanding of vocabulary and word meanings. Integration questions required readers to reconstruct events and recall details from the texts. Inference questions evaluated readers’ ability to derive the fables’ central messages and underlying meanings. Each text included 12 questions, with four items per question type, resulting in 48 test items. The reading ability test was derived from the College Entrance Examination Center. A total of 20 items were selected to measure participants’ decoding, integration, inference, and Chinese literary and cultural knowledge. The EyeLink 1000 was used to collect eye movement. The area of interest in this study was sentence level. Each sentence was labeled as either a story or a moral. Two eye-movement measures were used: the first-pass reading time (FPRT) and rereading time (RRT). The first-pass reading time was the fixation duration when encountering the sentence before leaving, reflecting the early process, such as meaning construction and syntactic analysis. The rereading time was summed up with the fixation duration except for FPRT, reflecting late processes, such as integration. All the data was analyzed using linear mixed models. Results The reading comprehension results indicated that readers scored higher on integration and inference questions than on decoding questions. A significant interaction effect between the fable and question types revealed three key findings. First, readers performed similarly in both explicitand implicit-moral fables for decoding questions. Second, readers scored higher in explicit-moral fables for integration questions than in implicit-moral fables. Third, readers scored higher in implicit-moral fables for inference questions than in explicit-moral fables. The results of FPRT showed that readers spent more FPRT reading explicit-moral fables or moral paragraphs than reading implicit-moral fables or story paragraphs. The results of RRT revealed a significant interaction effect. The simple main effects showed that when reading implicit-moral fables, readers spent more RRT on the moral paragraph than on the story paragraph, whereas this pattern was reversed for explicit-moral fables. Furthermore, readers spent more time on the story paragraph in explicit-moral fables than in implicit-moral fables, while they allocated more time to the moral paragraph in implicit-moral fables than in explicit-moral fables. Discussion and Implication The current study investigated how readers allocate their attention to the story and moral paragraphs when reading explicit and implicit moral fables and examine their reading comprehension. Results showed that readers obtained higher integration scores in explicit-moral fables and inference scores in implicit-moral fables. The eye-movement patterns can explain these results. Specifically, the results of the RRT showed that when reading explicit-moral fables, readers spent more RRT on the story than on the moral paragraph. These suggest that the explicit presentation of the moral enhances semantic overlap between paragraphs, creating strong coherence. As a result, readers can passively accept the moral without additional inference while dedicating more time to integrating the story’s contents to construct global coherence between the story and moral paragraphs. In contrast, when reading implicit-moral fables, readers spent more RRT on the moral paragraph than the story paragraph. This reflects the lower semantic overlap and weaker coherence between paragraphs, requiring readers to invest additional time in the moral paragraph to infer and integrate the symbolic metaphors with the story. That is, readers need to actively engage in inference to achieve coherence in understanding the moral. These findings suggest a distinction between the passive reception of meaning and the active pursuit of meaning across different paragraphs. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of how readers comprehend classical Chinese fables and provides insights for educators and teachers. When students have a basic vocabulary level of classical Chinese, teachers can focus on enhancing reading comprehension. Genre types, paragraph features, and text coherence are critical to providing adaptive instruction.
本研究旨在探討幼保相關科系準教保員之生涯適應力與專業認同之關聯，並分析其影響機制與關鍵因素，進一步考察時間距離對專業認同與生涯適應力間關係的調節角色。研究以Savickas（2013）提出的生涯適應力理論為基礎，探討「生涯好奇」是否透過「生涯控制」與「生涯關注」的中介，促進「生涯信心」之形成，並檢驗專業認同在其中的調節效果。同時，亦納入時間距離（近程與遠程目標）作為預測變項，以區別分析評估其對專業認同傾向的解釋力。研究以1,158名幼保相關科系學生（準教保員）為樣本，採調節式中介分析。結果顯示，「生涯好奇」對「生涯控制」與「生涯關注」具顯著正向影響，進而提升「生涯信心」。專業認同於各變項間有調節效果，具教師專業認同者即便生涯好奇較低，其生涯關注與生涯信心亦優於具教保專業認同者。此外，近程與遠程目標的規劃差異對專業認同具預測力，說明時間距離可作為區辨準教保專業認同傾向之變項。據此，本研究建議幼保相關科系應設置專業導向的生涯諮詢服務，協助學生擬定兼顧近程與遠程的職涯目標，強化生涯好奇與自我效 能，並支持其建立清晰的職涯規劃與穩固的專業認同，透過課程、實務操作與多元職涯探索機會，促進生涯信心與適應力，無論未來選擇以教保員或教師身分服務，皆能提升職涯穩定性與成就感。 This research investigates the intricate dynamics between career adaptability and professional identity within the demographic of university students specializing in early childhood education and care, herein referred to as “Pre-child Caregivers.” Grounded in Savickas’s career adaptability theory, this inquiry seeks to delineate the principal factors and mechanisms that significantly impact the career trajectories of these individuals. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the extent to which career curiosity affects career confidence and whether this association is mediated by career control and career concern, two pivotal elements within the adaptability framework. Furthermore, the study evaluates how professional identity serves as a moderating variable in this linkage, alongside the influence of temporal distance, interpreted through the aspects of immediate and distant goals, on the professional identity inclinations of students. The research utilized a quantitative cross-sectional survey methodology, gathering data from 1,158 valid responses from individuals enrolled in early childhood education and care programs throughout Taiwan between 2019 and 2022. A moderated mediation framework was developed to investigate the intricate interactions among the studied variables. The research employed SPSS, AMOS, and PROCESS applications to execute structural equation modeling (SEM) and evaluate moderation and mediation. The results indicate that career curiosity serves as a significant predictor of both career control and career concern. These mediating constructs, in turn, exert a positive influence on career confidence, thereby affirming a sequential pathway from curiosity to confidence facilitated by internal self-regulatory mechanisms. The findings substantiate Savickas’s assertion that career curiosity acts as a pivotal driver in the formation of career-related behaviors and attitudes. Significantly, professional identity serves as a key moderator in this relationship. Students possessing a robust professional identity as educators– those who aspire to acquire teaching credentials and attain certification as preschool educators– exhibited elevated levels of career confidence in comparison to their counterparts who align more closely with the broader early childhood care sector (e.g., child care personnel or assistants). Even in instances of diminished career curiosity, individuals who self-identify as prospective teachers manifest heightened levels of career concern and confidence. In contrast, students who associate more with the early childhood care identity reveal diminished levels of career control and confidence, even amidst heightened curiosity, indicating that identity orientation is instrumental in mediating the transforming intrinsic motivational resources into tangible career planning behaviors. Additionally, participants with a teacher professional identity demonstrated significantly higher scores on both proximal and distal goal measures compared to those with a child care identity. This suggests that a well-established future goal orientation is closely linked to the formation of a teacher-oriented professional identity, reinforcing the predictive power of temporal distance in shaping career identity. The investigation further explores the influence of temporal distance in distinguishing between various professional identities. Proximal goals (including course-based knowledge, internship participation, certification success) and distal goals (including career dreams, professional contentment) were applied as variables in a discriminant analysis to determine their usefulness in grouping students into separate professional identity categories. Findings reveal that temporal distance serves as a significant predictor, with proximal goal orientation emerging as the most potent discriminating variable. Students possessing well-defined short-term objectives exhibited a greater propensity to adopt a teacher professional identity, whereas those with less clearly articulated goals were more inclined to identify with a general child care identity. This implies that the conceptualization of time and considerations for future planning are intricately linked to the manner in which students cultivate their professional self-concepts. This investigation presents a range of contributions. Firstly, it empirically substantiates a theoretical framework that links essential dimensions of career adaptability with professional identity, thereby affirming the mediating and moderating functions of certain psychological resources. Secondly, it supplies empirical evidence underscoring the significance of temporal perspective in the development of professional identity. Lastly, it provides a contextualized elucidation of how prospective educators within the early childhood domain construct and navigate their career trajectories throughout their training. In response to these findings, a set of viable conclusions are proposed. Institutions of learning are encouraged to introduce systematic career advisory services that address the distinct needs of students in early childhood education and care programs. Such services may encompass individualized career planning, future-oriented workshops, and skill-mapping strategies designed to assist students in delineating both their immediate and long-term objectives. Facilitating a sense of career exploration through varied educational experiences and reflective thinking may empower students to approach career challenges with increased confidence and resilience. Furthermore, educators are encouraged to incorporate career adaptability training into the curriculum to bolster students’ sense of agency and concern for their future, particularly regarding professional roles within the early childhood sector. Moreover, facilitating access to career exploration initiatives, such as observational visits to early childhood education centers, internship placements, and mentorship collaborations with alumni, can significantly expand students’ comprehension of potential career trajectories. These initiatives may also augment their recognition of the benefits associated with obtaining formal teaching qualifications. For current practitioners in child care, avenues for pursuing advanced credentials (e.g., acquiring educational credits or enrolling in pedagogical training programs) may create opportunities for career progression, transition into new professional roles, and sustained employment stability. In summary, this investigation underscores the interconnected dimensions of career adaptability, professional identity, and temporal perspective in influencing the career trajectories of pre-service early childhood educators. By assisting students in cultivating robust professional identities, promoting future-oriented goal establishment, and enhancing internal adaptability resources, educational institutions can assume a crucial role in fostering a stable and proficient early childhood workforce for forthcoming generations. Building upon this conclusion, the research further suggests that short- and long-term career goal clarity plays a critical role in stabilizing professional identity across diverse student profiles. Enabling students to identify immediate academic targets and distant vocational aspirations not only reinforces self-efficacy but also facilitates sustained engagement within the profession. At the same time, enhancing students’ exposure to the structural realities and evolving demands of the child care and education sector may strengthen alignment between career intentions and workforce needs. Additionally, future research is encouraged to broaden sampling to include credit-based program enrollees and explore longitudinal differences in temporal distance perception across academic stages. Investigating the combined effects of institutional culture, familial expectations, and peer influence may also yield valuable insights into how professional identity is shaped over time. The theoretical integration of Savickas’s adaptability model with complementary frameworks, such as Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), could further expand the explanatory power of future models and better illuminate the psychological underpinnings of vocational decision-making. These extensions would offer a nuanced understanding of how professional identity evolves and inform policy strategies aimed at nurturing a sustainable and committed early childhood workforce.
本研究主要目的是建構「教保服務人員專業表現指引」，作為衡量教保服務人員專業表現或引導專業發展的方向。首先，歸納相關文獻整理出教保服務人員專業表現的內涵作為建構指引的基礎，再以焦點團體座談蒐集27名學者專家對專業，表現指引初稿架構與內涵的意見，並依據建議編製成德菲法調查問卷。其次，另邀請23位學者專家，以德菲法蒐集學者專家對專業表現指引架構與內涵的共識。最後，以問卷調查蒐集487名現職教保服務人員對專業表現指引適切性的意見，並以驗證性因素分析檢驗「教保服務人員專業表現指引」的理論 模型與實際觀察資料的適配程度。經分析結果顯示，「教保服務人員專業表現指引」的架構與內涵包括兒童權益與重要議題、教保活動、健康安全與照顧、班級經營與幼兒輔導、專業承諾等五個層面，層面下包含12個向度、36個指標。經驗證性因素分析顯示，專業表現指引具有良好的模式適配度，一階與二階潛在變項的組合信度皆大於.60，平均變異抽取量皆大於.50，反映「教保服務人員專業表現指引」內部一致性良好。本研究於文末依據研究結果提出實務與後續研究之建議。 Preschool educators serve as the primary caregivers for young children and play a critical role in shaping their cognitive, emotional, and skill development. Given the significant impact of educators’ professional performance on preschoolers’ growth, it is essential to construct comprehensive professional performance guidelines. These guidelines not only support educators in demonstrating professional competence but also enhance their professional identity and perceived value. This study aims to identify the core components of professional performance among preschool educators, develop a structured set of performance guidelines, and examine the impact of these guidelines on the overall quality of preschool educators’ professional practice. Based on relevant documents from international sources, preschool education organizations, and the Ministry of Education, the professional performance guidelines for preschool educators were structured around four major domains. First, in the domain of Foundational Educational Philosophies and Contemporary Issues, preschool educators are expected to possess sound educational competence, understand the developmental characteristics of young children, and stay informed about current reforms and issues in early childhood education. Second, within the domain of Implementation of Preschool Educational Activities, educators are responsible for designing developmentally appropriate curricula, employing diverse teaching strategies, creating enriching learning environments, ensuring the health and safety of children, and fostering collaborative relationships with parents and the broader community. Third, the domain of Classroom Management and Child Guidance, emphasizes the creation of a harmonious classroom atmosphere, the cultivation of positive teacher–child relationships and classroom norms, the use of guidance and counseling strategies to address behavioral issues, and the support of children’s social interaction and learning outcomes. Finally, in the domain of Professional Ethics, educators are expected to comply with regulations that protect children’s rights, engage in ongoing professional development, and demonstrate passion and commitment to their roles. These four domains are further divided into 12 sub-domains and comprise a total of 40 performance indicators. Based on four focus group interviews with 27 experts– including university professors, preschool teachers, kindergarten principals, and principals of elementary school-affiliated kindergartens– the professional performance guidelines for preschool educators were revised to include five major domains: (1) children’s rights and contemporary issues, (2) preschool educational activities, (3) health, safety, and caregiving, (4) classroom management and child guidance, and (5) professional commitment. These domains are further divided into 12 sub-domains and encompass a total of 36 performance indicators. A total of 23 experts– including 11 early childhood education scholars and 12 preschool practitioners– were invited to review the professional performance standards for preschool educators using the Delphi method. Among the 36 performance indicators, 33 achieved a mode of 6, while the remaining 3 had a mode of 5. The overall mean scores ranged from 5.0 to 5.9, with standard deviations between 0.24 and 0.69. The finalized professional performance standards consist of five domains, 12 sub-domains, and 36 performance indicators. The finalized professional performance standards were converted into a questionnaire and distributed to 907 respondents, of which 486 valid responses were returned and used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results indicated an acceptable model fit: χ²/df = 2.65, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .058, standardized root mean squared residual (SRMR) = .048, goodness of fit index (GFI) = .841, comparative fit index (CFI) = .921, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = .913, parsimonious goodness of fit index (PGFI) = .723, private nonresidential fixed investment (PNFI) = .798, and critical N (CN) = 202. The standardized factor loadings for the 36 indicators ranged from .65 to .90, all exceeding the .60 threshold. The squared multiple correlation (SMC) values ranged from .50 to .81, all above .50. The composite reliability (CR) for 12 first-order latent variables ranged from .76 to .87, while 5 second-order latent variables had CR values between .86 and .87, all above the .60 threshold. The average variance extracted (AVE) for 12 first-order latent variables ranged from .51 to .70, while 5 second-order latent variables had AVE values between .77 and .93, all above the .50 threshold. This indicated that the observed variables are able to respond to the latent traits of the common constructs and possess excellent convergent validity. This study yielded several key findings. First, the domain “Children’s Rights and Contemporary Issues” aligns with the principles of child protection outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and reflects the Department for Education (DfE, 2023) emphasis on the role of preschool educators in safeguarding children’s welfare and rights. Secondly, preschool educational activities should encompass curriculum and lesson design, teaching implementation, learning environment planning, and assessment. These components align with the guidelines set forth by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2017), the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI, 2011), the Council of Europe (2019), the Department for Education (DfE, 2023), the Government of Singapore (2022), and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2020). Moreover, within the domain of “Health, Safety, and Caregiving,” preschool educators should plan activities that prioritize the safety and health of preschoolers. This is consistent with the guidelines set by the Department for Education (DfE, 2023) and the Government of Singapore (2022). In the domain of “Classroom Management and Child Guidance,” preschool educators utilize classroom management strategies to support preschoolers’ learning (Ministry of Education, 2016a, 2016b; ACEI, 2011; Government of Singapore, 2022). Finally, within the domain of “Professional Commitment,” preschool educators demonstrate a willingness to adhere to professional ethical standards and commit to the education and care of preschoolers. This concept of professional commitment is in line with Anitha and Krishnaveni’s (2013) notion of educators’ dedication to their roles, as well as with the commitment emphasized by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2017), Ministry of Education (2016a, 2016b), the Department for Education (DfE, 2023), the Government of Singapore (2022), and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2020). Based on the findings of this study, several suggestions were made. First, preschool educators can use the professional performance guidelines to assess their own professional performance and as a reference for enhancing preschool education. Second, teacher education programs can utilize the guidelines to evaluate the comprehensiveness of pre-service training curricula. Third, these guidelines can add value to institutional evaluation processes. Finally, the guidelines can serve as a foundation for developing specialized education and vocational training programs.
