Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Department of Child Studies (Department Chair Kim Rijin) strengthened the professional competencies of approximately 200 childcare professionals through the nation’s first implementation of an Autonomous (Type B) refresher training for childcare staff, introduced in line with this year’s revised Ministry of Education guidelines.

JBNU announced that it has completed the entire refresher training program for childcare staff this year, including three sessions of general in‑service training for childcare teachers and one session of director job training.

The program departed from the traditional Type A curriculum, which focused on predetermined subjects, and was conducted in a Type B autonomous format in which the educational institution designs and delivers courses tailored to field needs. The JBNU Department of Child Studies was the first in the country to introduce this curriculum, presenting a new model for field‑customized refresher training.

The university completely redesigned the curriculum based on childcare teachers' feedback. It newly organized practice‑oriented courses with high applicability in childcare settings, including hands‑on training in the use of field‑linked digital media, understanding young children from diverse family backgrounds, techniques for observing and recording children’s play, protection of teachers' rights, support for early childhood literacy development, and Positive Behavior Support (PBS) for maladjusted young children.

It also implemented tailored operations to address accessibility issues related to local and workplace conditions. Since 2024, JBNU has operated an annual outreach training session at the Namwon City Childcare Support Center to reduce travel burdens for teachers in the southern Jeonbuk region. From 2025, it has added one daytime weekday session per year, taking into account fatigue and reduced concentration associated with night classes.

Beginning this year, a hybrid format combining Zoom remote instruction and face‑to‑face classes was introduced to enhance convenience for staff attending weekday evening training. The state‑of‑the‑art e‑Learning Studio delivered high‑definition live remote lectures, while the AI Space provided hands‑on training where teachers directly practiced applying advanced digital media in their lessons.

The training was operated based on support from the Glocal University 30 Project that JBNU has been promoting since 2023. In addition to reimbursement of nationally funded training fees, the program subsidized textbooks, refreshments, and meals to reduce participants' financial burdens, and JBNU faculty, including full‑time instructors, participated as lecturers to enhance the program's professional quality.

The general in‑service training for childcare teachers was conducted in small sections of around 30 participants, fostering intensive communication and interaction among instructors, learners, and teachers. One participant said, "Although it felt burdensome because it was mandatory training, it became a pause in my daily routine. Sharing professional knowledge and the experiences of field teachers provided an opportunity to reflect on my role in childcare practice."

Kim Tae‑yeon, Director of the JBNU Childcare Staff Refresher Training Project Group, said, "The Type B autonomous curriculum, first attempted nationwide, is an example of achieving substantive professional development for staff by linking the university's advanced infrastructure and Glocal resources with regional childcare sites. We will continue to advance this field‑integrated leading model to raise the quality of early childhood care in the province and to strengthen the competencies of childcare staff."