Young Ok Kim

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 2-3, 2003

Hae Kyung Hong

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 5-19, 2003

This study examined the differences in spatial abilities and social skills of young children using two different types of board games. Subjects consisted of 57 four year old children and 60 five year old children. Fifty eight were assigned to strategy-based board games, and 59 were assigned to chance-based board games. The same type of board game was given to each group. Each child played the board game 30 times. The results show that strategy-based board games have positive effects on spatial abilities, as well as on social skills in young children; there are age differences but no gender differences in both abilities. The findings of this study suggest that the spatial ability and social skills of young children can be increased using strategy-based games. This study proposes that early childhood educators need to consider the use of chance-based board games with a dice and spinner in preschool settings.

Hwa Do Lee

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 21-37, 2003

Childhood education programs have been developed based on a series of beliefs about many different aspects: ontological, the learning process, the nature of knowledge, and the relationship between society and education. A variety of ideologies regarding child development learning have continued to influence early childhood education, especially curriculum selection and building. This study investigates the influence of modern development psychological theories early childhood education, by analyzing the nature of early childhood education in France, with high rate of early enrollment in educational institutions. Recent trends of researches in early childhood educational programs will be treated to seek educational implications applicable to future early childhood educational practices.

Myung Hee Kim , Hwa Sik Shin

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 39-69, 2003

This study examines the baseline data of peace educational ideas in the level of recognition and practice among Korean kindergarten teachers. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey. Subjects served for this study consisted of 265 kindergarten teachers including 93 Montessori teachers and 172 traditional kindergarten teachers among 42 kindergartens located in Seoul and Kyungki province area, a using random sampling method. Data was analyzed by IBM-PC computer, using a SPSS program. Statistical methods employed were frequency: of item, t-test, and ANOVA. The authors developed a peace education activity, and applying the kindergarten based on the data obtained from this study and Montes-sort four domains for a peace education to be reviewed. The results of this study were as follows: There was no significant difference in the awareness of peace education between Montessori teachers and traditional kindergarten teachers. The teachers who had much more teaching experiences showed the higher awareness for peace educational practice than younger teachers with the shorter teaching career. Even though Montessori and traditional kindergarten teachers had the high recognition for a peace education did not have the systemically peace education program. Authors developed 12 activities of peace education included self-awareness (3 activities), community awareness (3 activities), cultural awareness (3 activities), and global environmental awareness (3 activities). The peace educational program on the basis of research data and the Montessori had four domains. The standards of a peace educational program are decided and accomplished on the basis of these four categorical interactions and all practical data available for the real state of affairs in a specific cultural community and country. In conclusion, standards of peace education are subject to change as the actual circumstances of country and the world change and teacher practice patterns for the peace education evolve. These parameters of peace education should be considered in peace education programs only.

Ok Seung Yang

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 71-93, 2003

The two Koreas, the South and the North, differ drastically in what seem to be the most fundamental of ways, Many Koreans still, however, hold hope for a unified homeland and therefore important to examine the inevitably problematic issues in early childhood education and care that will be encountered when the two Koreas are unified. The institutions of early childhood education and care on each side of the DMZ evolved under different ideologies and organizational principles each ideology promoted. The issue of early childhood education and care, which is directly linked to every nation`s future, will be especially difficult to bridge between a North that uses early childhood education and care as one of its main tools for maintaining Its communist system and a South that understands early childhood education and care in a more private context as part of an open competitive system. Given these disparities, preparation for an early childhood education and care post-unification era framework must begin now. Therefore, this research presents a direction for post-unification early childhood education and care by comparing and analyzing how the systems were developed on both sides of the peninsula following the division of Korea. To this end, South Korean and North Korean early childhood education and care ideologies legal systems, administrative systems, management policies, enrollment rates, costs, early childhood, teacher, policies and operating practices are scrutinized,

Mi Ok Moon

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 95-104, 2003

This paper explored the educational content of Chosun Neo-Confucianism and defined educational implications of the content for the modem early childhood education in Korean. Scriptures of Chosun Neo-Confucianism and Confucian books on early childhood education were researched for this paper. The content of early childhood education based on Chosun Neo-Confucianism included a desirable lifestyle, practice of generosity, justice, courtesy, knowledge, intimate human relationship, self- control, principles of nature and education on language, mathematics, history, music, art, and literature. Chosun Neo-Confucianism that pursued character education was an effective guide for the current education system that emphasized knowledge acquisition at the expense of holistic education.

Dong Ju Shin

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 105-114, 2003

This study was conducted to explore the contents of preschool childhood playgrounds in Korea comparing public and private kindergartens. Also, childhood preferences for outdoor play equipment according to age groups were investigated. The result shows that and play areas was the most frequently provided play item in kindergarten playgrounds as well as it was one of the most favorite play areas for the children regardless of age, Also, fixed play equipment structures such as swing, slide, seesaw were the most frequently provided items on both of the public and private kindergarten playgrounds.

Boo Yeun Lim

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 115-133, 2003

This study selected three early childhood schools that use the Bank Street, Reggio, or Waldorf approach, and investigated perceptions of aesthetic education by educators and the ways of implementing it in real classroom settings. The data sources included documents, observations, classroom artifacts, and formal and informal interviews with directors, classroom teachers, and art teachers. The overall findings revealed that educators at each school have a variety of perceptions of aesthetic education, consisting of some common Images of aesthetic education, but leading to very different implementations based on different images of child by educators. The findings suggest that each school`s unique interpretation and implementation of aesthetics in an educational context provides early childhood educators with numerous practical suggestions to embark on a comprehensive aesthetic education, while leaving open some Interesting issues in terms of theory and practice and inquiries for future research.

Eun Jin Cho

DOI: Vol.9(No.2) 135-144, 2003

Childhood symbolic play is affected by available playthings and toys, Then, researchers and educators attend to the strategies for facilitating the depth and satisfaction of symbolic play through the selection and presentation of toys and playthings, This study is an integrative review of research on the role and influence that toy realism and structure have upon symbolic play in young children. It was hypothesized that highly structured or realistic toys might impede symbolic play because the toy can only be used for what it was originally intended whereas unstructured materials would encourage rich and diversified Fantasy themes. However, the review of research on this issue suggests that the realistic toys are especially recommended for very young children that have limited representational capacity, and that continue to give impetus to make-believe even for kindergartners. This type of play objects are viewed as indispensable components of successful play intervention programs for both younger and older preschoolers. In selecting play objects it is important to make sure that children have real satisfaction in relation to age, interests, and abilities.