The purpose of this study is to research on the actual condition of outdoor play conducted at the infant classroom in daycare centers and teacher's awareness of that.
The study questions are as follows:
1. How is the management status for the infant...
The purpose of this study is to research on the actual condition of outdoor play conducted at the infant classroom in daycare centers and teacher's awareness of that.
The study questions are as follows:
1. How is the management status for the infant classroom at daycare centers in Seoul?
1-1. How is the outdoor play environment for the infant classroom? Does the variations of daycare center which are type of daycare center, participation in daycare center accreditation, responsibility of the infant daycare center make any differences to that?
1-2. How is the management method of outdoor play for the infant classroom Does the variations of daycare center which are type of daycare center, participation in daycare center accreditation, responsibility of the infant daycare center make any differences to that?
1-3. How is the safety inspection of outdoor play facilities for the infant classroom? Does the variations of daycare center which are type of daycare center, participation in daycare center accreditation, responsibility of the infant daycare center make any differences to that?
2. How is the recognition of teacher on the management of infant’s outdoor play?
2-1 How is the recognition about the space and facility of outdoor playfor infant?
2-2 How is the recognition about the educational effect and teacher’s role of infant’s outdoor play?
2-3 How is the recognition about the difficulty of management and the improvement for infant’s outdoor play?
This study is for 273 teachers at the infant classroom (0, 1 and 2 years old) at daycare center in Seoul. For the purpose of this study, Inquiry paper is used to inquire the daycare center and the general background of teachers for infant classroom and to inquire the outdoor play management status and teachers’recognition. The collected data are analyzed by frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, multiple response analyses and Chi-square verification.
The results of this study are as follows. The overall management status of infant classroom in daycare center is firstly shown that there are lacking outdoor play space and facility and infant specified space and facility at daycare center in Seoul for the environmental point of view. Additionally, there are not various interest corners and play facilities. In many facilities, playground and park near the daycare center are being used to perform outdoor play and infants are moving by walk. According to variation of daycare center, there are some differences in outdoor play environmental status. The level of outdoor play space and the establishment of facility are so high for the national/public daycare centers and the accreditation daycare centers. The level of outdoor play space and the establishment of facility for infants are so high in a legal and the rectum daycare center and family daycare.
Secondly, many facilities aremaking a plan considering the subject for performing outdoor play in the point of management method view. Respondents have no planning on outdoor play because they are concerning about the control of infants and the safety problem. We can show the control and the safety of infants are bigger troubles than lacking outdoor play space and facilities. Many cases are outdoor plays are performed within one time during one hour a day. Over 2/3 teachers, they are recognizing that the currently managed outdoor playtime is sufficient. Outdoor play is performed very well in the fall.Because of weather and temperature, if planned outdoor play is not preformed, indoor gross motor play is replaced. Considering that the ratio teacher to infant for outdoor play is so high, teachers need assistants. To provide an opportunity keeping company with another age infants, the half of teachers combine class and outdoor activities performed for infants are not various. Teachers are thinking the safety is very important in performing outdoor play.
According to the kinds of variations of daycare centers, there are some differences in management method. The plan of outdoor play, amount of outdoor play and the satisfaction of outdoor play are so high in the national/public daycare centers, rectum daycare centers and the accreditation daycare centers. The participation of outdoor play for infants is so high in the accreditation daycare centers.
Thirdly, according to safety inspection during the last year, accidents never didn’t happen in most facilities. In case of accidents, there are 2.5 times accidents for having a scratch and being bruised when they are using fixed equipment and taking for a walk during a year. Additionally, we can see teachers of infant classroom are intermediately inspecting the safety of facilities during play. In case of regular inspection, teachers are using check list for safety one time within a week. There is no difference about the actual condition of safety inspection for the variations of daycare center.
Teachers for the recognitions in infant outdoor play are considering outdoor play space is a playground and a park as well as facilities within a daycare center. Actually, Theiractions are the same as their considerations.
However, teachers need outdoor play spaces and facilities for infants to be suitable for infant development because it is dangerous to play together with young children using young children facilities. They are considering the educational effect of outdoor play is the formation ofthe physical development and fundamental habits. There is no difference about the recognition for the teachers’ roles in outdoor play and teachers’ actions.
Teachers are considering that safety problem and facilities for infant and lacking program are the real problems. And they are considering space, financial support for facility expansion, development of various outdoor program to be suitable for ages are required. Additionally, they are considering the government strategies and supports are required to expand facilities and supplement facilities for infant at public/local playground.