(Abstract)
The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to develop a web based teacher training program for early mathematics with the ARCS model, and (2) to verify its effects regarding the improvement of early childhood teachers’ positive attitude toward mathematics and their mathematics teaching efficacy. To accomplish these aims, research was carried out to develop the teacher training program. Subsequently, the application effect of the program was examined.

To develop a web-based teacher training program for early mathematics education using the ARCS model, this study followed a three-step process. At the preparation stage, prerequisite studies, literature, and related data were analyzed to establish the purpose, goals, and contents of the program. Based on this, a draft program was developed. Subsequently, the expert group verification of the program proposal was carried out in a three-step process. The first of verification included the verification of the purpose, goals, and contents of the program; the second step included the verification of the suitability of the ARCS model for developing th program. In the final stage, the teacher training web-based program for early mathematics education using the ARCS model was developed. Developed web-based program is described as follows.
The purpose of the program was to train teachers to develop their teaching capacity of early mathematics based on developing an understanding and positive attitude toward mathematics. The contents of the program consisted of developing a basic understanding of mathematics, the development of early mathematics, and contents that can be used in teaching practice. Elements of the ARCS model were applied at each stage of the program''s teaching-learning phase.

To verify the effectiveness of the developed program, this study used ‘quantitative followed by qualitative’ data collection and analysis. For quantitative data collection and analysis, 24 early childhood teachers participated in the developed web-based program, and a different set of 24 early childhood teachers were assigned as the control group. The data regarding the teachers’ attitude towards mathematics and their mathematics teaching efficacy were analyzed using ANCOVA. For qualitative data collection and analysis, post-interview and in-depth interviews were conducted with early childhood teachers who participated in the developed web-based program. The application effects of the web-based program for early mathematics education using the ARCS model are as follows:

First, early childhood teachers in the experimental group presented statistically significant improvement in the score of ‘positive attitude towards mathematics’ and ‘mathematics teaching efficacy’ as compared to that of the control group.
Second, as the sessions of the program progressed, the early childhood teachers became active learners, intuitively acquiring the learning content provided by the program, and feeling a sense of achievement as they solved problems of appropriate difficulty related to the learning content. This shows that early childhood teachers actively adapted to the new method and that they became more focused and engaged in the learning content of the program as the program progressed.

In conclusion, the developed web-based program for early mathematics education with the ARCS model promotes early childhood teachers’ positive attitude towards mathematics and enhances their mathematics teaching efficacy. Therefore, the developed web-based program for early mathematics education designed with the ARCS model in this study provides early childhood teachers with a new training participation method called web, leads their voluntarily and actively developing a positive attitude toward mathematics, and enhances their mathematics teaching effectiveness.