This study examines the effects of teacher's emotional intelligence on
teacher-child interaction through the sequential mediation effects of efficacy
belief about play and professional recognition. Participants were 268 teachers
working at kindergartens in Gyeonggi area. Data were analyzed by descriptive
statistic, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and the structural equation
model using the SPSS 21.0 and Mplus 6.12 program. The main findings of this
study are as follows: First, in regards to the relationship between emotional
intelligence and teacher-child interaction, a single mediation effect of efficacy
belief about play is significant. But there is no significant mediation effect of
the professional recognition. Second, in regards to the pathway from emotional
intelligence to teacher-child interaction, the professional recognition precedent
mediation model is statistically significant, but efficacy belief about the play
precedent mediation model is not significant. Based on the results, a concluding
discussion was made regarding methods toward enhancing interaction between
teacher and child.