This study acknowledges the importance of emotional intelligence to infants, and examines the current social conditions in which the cognitive aspects are stressed even in infant education institutions whereas the emotional intelligence is the crucial...
This study acknowledges the importance of emotional intelligence to infants, and examines the current social conditions in which the cognitive aspects are stressed even in infant education institutions whereas the emotional intelligence is the crucial factor that becomes the basis of all activities in their lives. Accordingly, this study purports to develop and verify the effect of a program which helps development of infantile emotional intelligence through the medium of Tea ceremony
The sample of the study was taken from Daeheungsa Handeum nursery located in Jeonnam Haenam-Eup. The sample group consisted of 26 5-year old children, of which 13 were test group and the other 13 were control group. Pre-test was undertaken to both test and control groups; after the Tea ceremony program was executed to the infants of the test group for 5 weeks, an identical test was done to both the test and control group.
The collected information analysis projected average and of the factors in pre and post tests with SPSS application. To identify the difference between the groups, and to be the t value was obtained to verify the effect of the program.
The conclusion of the study focusing on the result of the research is as follows:
First, the Tea ceremony project influenced the self-emotion recognition ability, which is the aptitude to recognize and express oneself. The infants who participated in the program had significantly higher scores than those who were not involved in the program in self-emotion recognition ability and emotion ability.
Second, while the infants made tea and meditated through the Tea ceremony project, they arranged and changed their emotions suitably; they augmented their self-emotion control ability.
Third, through the Tea ceremony project, the infants recognized and understood the minds and emotions of other friends, and improved their interpersonal relationship management ability, which implies the level of interest on others' difficulties and expression of how they feel.
Fourth, the infants of the test group realized that their activities were shifting to a favorable direction during the Tea ceremony project. After the test, they selected their language and course of actions more carefully, and tried to follow their manners in relationships with each other.
The teachers and infants themselves were feeling that they were developing in a desirable aspect.
Many of the infants frequently visited Tea area in their free time. By following the tea meditation which the teachers showed in classes, the infants played roles with each other, cleaned the tea utensils after the activity, and wrapped up the activity by taking a deep breath. This enhanced the infants' concern on others and self-emotion control ability, and showed significantly high statistical score.
Through the aforementioned Tea ceremony project, the infants showed significantly high improvements in abilities of emotion recognition, emotion control, emotion importation, and interpersonal relationship management, and concern on others.
By summing the research results, it is assumed that the Tea ceremony program contributes significantly to the development of infants' emotional intelligence.