Peter Jackson

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 9-16, 2000

N/A

Jin Jiang

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 17-21, 2000

China is a developing country with great population. It is well known to all that China is undertaking a dramatic social transition. The fast economic development has led to a great change in the material life. At the same time, it also caused people to realize the importance of education to promote the social progress and human resources development. Along with implementation of the family planning policy, the parental expectation to education and society is getting greater and greater. The Chinese government is making greater efforts to guarantee the childrens rights to education.

Emiko Hannah Ishigaki

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 23-41, 2000

N/A

Martha B . Bronson

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 43-62, 2000

N/A

Kyung Woo Lee

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 63-91, 2000

This study examined the trend of old and new media awards for the year of 2000. The Caldecott Award and the Bologna Ragazzi Award were examined for old media. The Bologna New Media Award and the Webby Award were examined for new media. The issue of educational implications were also examined in the aspect of positive and negative aspects for the award winners. The focus of the educational implication was on what aspects need to be considered in the global community of the 21st century.

Young Hee Noh

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 93-113, 2000

The object of this study is to survey the reality of public signs presented at pubic places where young children can experience easily. This object is based on the assumption that the public signs is the subject of literacy by the social communication methods. Social environments are connected with school directly. And the literate function applied to the real life should be coincided with the literate function of school. Therefore, finding the pubic signs in social environment and figure outing the contents and presentation methods, can give basic and available materials for literate education at school. This study shows: (1) the content categories of the public signs which are connected closely with young children`s life, (2) the presentation methods of the public signs connected with young children`s life, and (3) the perception about public signs of five year old children.

Hwa Sik Shin

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 115-146, 2000

The present study was intended to investigate the current status of Montessori education practices in Korea and to suggest future direction for its improvement and successful implementation of Montessori education in Korean kindergarten. This study was conducted by self-administered questionnaire survey. Subjects served for the study consisted of 85 Montessori teachers among 30 Montessori Kindergartens located in Seoul area, sampled from Korean Montessori kindergarten, using random sampling method. Data were analysed by IBM-PC computer, using SAS program. Statistical methods employed were frequency of item, t-test, and ANOVA. The summary of the research findings was as follows: It was revealed that Korean Montessori teachers who have worked for Montessori Kindergarten with the large amount of Montessori materials on hand had considerably higher recognition of the practical application of Montessori materials and teaching method of Montessori`s theory and program than Montessori teachers with small amount of materials in their Montessori kindergarten. However, the educational instruments for assessing the whole development of children held in stock by Korean Montessori kindergarten generally were below the mean number of holdings. Therefore, the author suggests the importance of educational assessment instruments for Montessori children and those proper application methods.

Moon Ja Oh

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 147-178, 2000

This paper examines the current state of the Korean adaptation of the Reggio Approach in order to reveal the hidden assumptions and perspectives on which we can reflect to make changes for better education. Korean classrooms were examined and analyzed around four major features: project works as a part of curriculum, collaboration through communication, multi-symbolic approach using a variety of representational media, and documentation. Despite the common symbols shared by both settings, many differences were found in practice. Korean teachers tend to believe in objectivity, single interpretations of reality, and reducing cognitive conflicts, white the socio-constructivistic Reggio educators believe in intersubjectivity, multiple interpretations of reality and fostering cognitive conflicts. The successful adaptation of the Reggio principles would require us a $quot;paradigm shift$quot;. Reinterpretation of the familiar symbols from a new paradigm and perspective can help us reconstruct an early educational framework and practice of our own context and time.

Hae Ik Hwang

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 179-203, 2000

This study was done to explore the central concepts of Vygotsky`s sociocultural theory. These concepts include the importance of social context, the sociocultural construction of knowledge, the role of language in development, the internalization of higher mental functioning and ZPD (zone of proximal development), and interaction of learning and development. Based on these critical reviews, this study was done also to seek implications applicable to early childhood educational practice dynamic assessment for young children. According to Vygotsky, social context influences learning more than attitudes and beliefs. It has a significant influence on how and what we think. Also, social context plays a central role in development. Like Piaget, Vygotsky believed that children construct their own understandings, and cognitive construction is always socially mediated : it is influenced by present and past social interactions. One of the most important concepts of Vygotsky` theory is ZPD. ZPD is a way of conceptualizing the relationship between learning and development. It is the dynamic zone of sensitivity in which learning and cognitive development occur. The role of education is to provide children with experiences that are in their ZPDs-activities that challenge children but that can be accomplished with sensitive adult guidance. One educational implication was suggested. Vygotsky expressed dissatisfaction with traditional ability and achievement tests as valid measures of children` s $quot;capacity to learn$quot;. In contrast to static assessment procedures, which emphasize previously acquired knowledge in terms of intelligence or achievement scores, dynamic assessment involves purposeful teaching within the testing situation. It attempts to distinguish a child` s apparent level of development, as might be measured by a standardized test, form the child` s potential level of development-the performance the child is capable of attaining with support. The difference between the two is child`s ZPD. To measure the breadth of the zone, dynamic assessment models use a pretesttraining-retest procedure. Feurestein`s, Budoff`s, and Campione and others` dynamic assessment models were reviewed and compared. Other educational implications and critiques of Vygotsky`s approach were also discussed.

Byoung Hi Park , Yeong Hee Shin

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 205-225, 2000

This study assessed behavioral profile of 50 normal neonatal Korean infants in Daegu area using the NBAS. Being one of few studies on this topic, the study is to document and to accumulate data on the neonatal behaviors of Korean babies. Overall scores were at moderate levels in 6 clusters including Response Decrement, Social Interactive, Motor System, State Organization, and State Regulation. However, some parts of Motor System and State Organization of the subjects were at remarkably good levels. Autonomic Stability was relatively stable. Scores of Response Decrement and State Organization, as well as the scores of Motor System and Autonomic Stability showed positive correlation. Scores of State Organization, State Regulation, Cuddliness and the use of Hand-to-Mouth device indicate that Korean babies are agreeable and even tameable that is advantageous for attachment to caregiver. Full term neonates and their mothers with no abortion history have a higher score in Autonomic Stability, and neonates of working mothers have a higher Orientation score. All these imply that mothers` health and life style affect neonatal behavior performance.

Dong Ju Shin

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 227-240, 2000

This study was conducted to explore and compare the early childhood education system of France, Sweden, Denmark, and Korea to understand international phenomenon and trend of early childhood education. The ideology and historical development of early childhood education, administrative and financial responsibility for early childhood educational system, and forms of child care and educational provision of each country were investigated.

Young Lee , Eun Hee Joo

DOI: Vol.6(No.0) 241-263, 2000

The purpose of this research was to collect basic data about child life as well as early care environment and maternal stress in Korea and Japan. The subjects were 532 mothers with 3 to 6 years old children attending kindergarten or child care center. Questionnaires and Makino(1981)`s early care anxiety scale that quantifies maternal stress were used. In terms of the cultural life experienced during childhood, Korean children spent less time with their mothers than the Japanese counterparts. In both countries, the early care supporting system for the children before age three consisted of private systems such as grandparents or relatives, maids. The maternal stress felt by Japanese mothers was higher than the maternal stress felt by Korean mothers except one subscale. Some demographical variables and the variables related to social support revealed meaningful to the level of maternal stress.