The purpose of this study is to develop an achievement goal orientation scale for childcare workers and to clarify the effects of achievement goal orientation and years of experience in childcare work on childcare practical skills. A questionnaire survey was conducted on childcare workers (n = 283). As a result of the confirmatory factor analysis in Analysis 1, the 'Mutual Growth Goal Orientation Scale with Children' was developed, which consists of mastery goals and relationship goals. In addition, regarding the three subscales of the performance-approach goal, the performance avoidance goal, and the work-avoidance goal, there was no evidence of external aspects, and the validity of the three subscales remained questionable. As a result of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis in Analysis 2, it was shown that mastery goal and relationship goal are positively associated with childcare practice regardless of the number of years of childcare work experience. In the future, examining factors such as the work environment that affect childcare workers' achievement goal orientation will be necessary.

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This study examines the effects of the internal working model of self-compassion, self-efficacy, and autonomous motivation on academic delay of gratification behavior. A self-reported questionnaire was administered to 170 university students (41 male, 128 female, and 1 unknown). A path analysis indicated that the relationship between the internal working model and academic delay of gratification behavior is mediated by self-compassion, self-efficacy, and autonomous motivation. More specifically, the model of self and model of other were both found to be positively related to self-compassion, followed by self-efficacy and autonomous motivation. Last, academic delay of gratification behavior was also elevated. The consistency between the results of this study and those of previous studies was discussed. In a future study, we intend to examine the factors of failure experience, cognitive strategies, and metacognitive strategies to increase the model’s explanation rate. Furthermore, the results also highlighted the need for a panel analysis and experimental research methods to examine the causal relationships more precisely.

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Previous studies have shown that adolescents’ perspectives and psychological adaptation are correlated. This study investigated differences in school adjustment and stress based on junior high school students’ type of future orientation. We surveyed junior high school students (N = 848) using the Future Orientation Scale developed by Yamagami and Sagara (2019). The results indicated the following five types of future orientations; “High future orientation,” “Family orientation,” “Decency-Family orientation,” “Low Decency-Rich orientation,” and “Low future orientation.” We examined the correlations between these future orientation types with school adjustment and stress. The results indicated that students with High future orientation and Decency-Family orientation types had higher school adjustment and less stress. In contrast, students with Low future orientation had the lowest school adjustment and highest stress. We also examined the effect of school adjustment on stress, which indicated the impact of learning adaptation on stress in all types of junior high school students. Learning adaptation had a strong effect on reducing stress, especially in the Low future orientation type with the least motivation and lowest interest in the future.

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The mental health of Japanese teachers has deteriorated over the past several years. Since teachers' mental health is affected by their interactions with administrators and colleagues, this study captures the specific qualities of the self-selfobject experience that provides practical support to help teachers maintain and promote their mental health and understand how to interact with others. This study aimed to examine the nature of support using self-psychology (Kohut, 1971, 1977). To do so, three teachers were interviewed about the process of overcoming difficult situations; their interviews were analyzed using qualitative data analysis methods. We used the steps for coding and theorization (SCAT) to discuss the results and better understand how the teachers viewed their interactions with others in difficult situations from the perspective of the self-selfobject experience. We then clarified what specific supports should be available for teachers to maintain their mental health, and explained the process of healthy development of the teacher's self.

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