The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of the physical environment constructed during the time that free choice activities in the afternoon are run for a full-time class, the characteristics of running the time of free choice a...
The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of the physical environment constructed during the time that free choice activities in the afternoon are run for a full-time class, the characteristics of running the time of free choice activities in the afternoon and the children's characteristics of play behaviors. Accordingly, through ethnographic research, the study was to analyze the characteristics of the physical environment constructed to run the afternoon program for Areum class of Hana Kindergarten, the characteristics of running the time of free choice activities in the afternoon and the children's characteristics of play behaviors during the time of free choice activities in the afternoon.
Questions to investigate these are as follows:
1. How is the physical environment for the time of free choice activities in the afternoon for Areum class of Hana Kindergarten?
2. What are the characteristics of running the time of free choice activities in the afternoon for Areum class of Hana Kindergarten?
3. What are the children's characteristics of play behaviors during the time of free choice activities in the afternoon for Areum class of Hana Kindergarten?
This study was carries out in Hana kindergarten within university. The subject were twenty six children and two teachers.
Data were collected through twenty eight participating observations, two teacher-interview by inquiry during a period from September 16, to December, 10, 2004.
Data were collected field jotting, audio-tape recording, documental transcribed in field notes, and the contents of interview were duplicated and materialized.
While collecting the data, analytical notes about the data were written. After the collection was completed, full-scale analysis and interpretation were carried out. The cases were coded, categorized and analyzed according to Bodgan & Biklen(1992)'s methodology.
The results of this research are as follows:
First, it should be considered to construct the physical environment for children's pleasant and comfortable life during the time of free choice activities in the afternoon for the full-time class: to prepare a place for children to take their rest individually in the afternoon when they get more tired; to construct such a place like a veranda which can be used as a new learning place as they can escape from staying in one place all day feeling bored; and to prepare a place to help run the activities by making connection between morning and afternoon.
Second, in terms of the characteristics of running the time of free choice activities in the afternoon, connection between morning and afternoon was found. With daily lessons in the morning connected to those in the afternoon, personal matters, happenings, accidents, etc. of children were transferred between teachers. The interest and attention that children had in the morning were continued in the afternoon, which enabled them to have deeper and more expansive experiences. In addition, the time of afternoon should be run to help children be emotionally stable, while a number of various and dynamic activities were conducted to avoid the change from a daily experience to boredom. Lastly, considering the children's physical tiredness, teachers supported them to spend the afternoon being healthy and act appropriately to each one's physical condition.
Third, during the time of free choice activities in the afternoon for the full-time class, the children themselves were planning how to play in the afternoon and participated in play voluntarily. Moreover, once they started a play in a field, they continued that play alone or with peers longer than they did in the morning. Finally, some children were so tired in the afternoon as to be slow in introducing themselves to play. Others started play in a hurry to enjoy more what they wanted to do before the time to go home.