With impetus, the government of South Korea is advancing the integration of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services starting this year. This policy initiative aims to merge daycare centers and kindergartens to eliminate disparities in quality between these institutions and establish a standard of excellence. The goal is to ensure that all young children benefit from superior education and care services, regardless of their enrolled institution. Daycare centers and kindergartens influence early childhood development, and parental choice between the two can impact children's developmental outcomes. Currently, dual-income status, household income, and proximity to the institution are determining factors for parents' choice of institution, highlighting how family socioeconomic status influences a child's developmental trajectory.

The integration of ECEC services involves qualitative considerations, including operational hours and days, evaluation systems, child-to-teacher ratios, parental fees, meal and snack costs, facility size, and the system for teacher training and qualifications. However, there are concerns that this integration could lead to reduced working conditions and diluted standards for teacher qualifications. These concerns have fueled opposition, especially among kindergarten teachers, despite the point that establishing new benchmarks and redesigning the system are both seen as reasonable and anticipated.

In this context, this study examines the role of learning communities formed by daycare and kindergarten teachers in fostering acceptance of ECEC integration through peer group mentoring. It also explores whether these teacher learning communities can mitigate psychological stress associated with teacher roles, enhance professionalism, and promote a collaborative organizational culture in a similar manner as seen within homogeneous institution types. Based on the findings, the study argues that it is essential to expand forums for teachers to share insights and engage in dialogue reflecting the unique challenges and conditions of daycare centers and kindergartens for the successful establishment of ECEC integration. Moreover, it underscores the importance of reforms in teachers' working schedules, promotion criteria for qualifications, and retraining methods as key to energizing these teacher-learning communities.

Preface
Executive Summary

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 The Literature on Teacher Learning Communities

Chapter 3 How the Finnish Teacher Learning Communities Work: Peer Group Mentoring
　Section 1 Early Childhood Education and Care in Finland
　Section 2 Teacher Retraining in Finland: Peer Group Mentoring

Chapter 4 Implementation of Peer Group Mentoring
　Section 1 Research Design
　Section 2 Results Analysis

Chapter 5 Summary and Policy Implications

References
ABSTRACT