This study aimed to investigate the effects of shyness of 3 to 5-year-olds and the
teacher-child relationship on peer play behaviors. For this purpose, a survey was
conducted targeting 33 teachers working with 277 three to five-year-olds at child
care centers located in Chungbuk, Korea. SPSS 19.0 was used to implement
exploratory analyses and hierarchical regression analysis. It was found that
children with low sociability and thoes with close relationships with teachers
indicated the least play disruption. Children whose assertiveness and sociability
were low and whose relationships with teachers were close were likely to do the
most play interaction. However, regardless of the level of the lack of assertiveness
and of the lack of sociability, children with close relationships with teachers had
a higher level of play interaction. Children with a higher level of lack of
sociability and in conflict relationships with teachers had a higher level of play
disconnection. Findings of this study highlight the importance of considering the
interplay of children’s shyness and teacher-child relationships in the development
of peer play behaviors.