This study aims to develop the integrated tea ceremony program for kindergarten children and verify its applicability to the field of early childhood education. To achieve these research goals, it was divided into research on developing integrated te...
This study aims to develop the integrated tea ceremony program for kindergarten children and verify its applicability to the field of early childhood education. To achieve these research goals, it was divided into research on developing integrated tea ceremony program for children and that on verifying its applicability to the field of education. The following research questions are suggested.
[Research Question 1] How should the integrated tea ceremony program for
children be composed?
[Research Question 2] What are the effects of the integrated tea ceremony program for children?
[Research Question 1] analyzes children's tea ceremony activities, compares and summarizes discussion and contents of its applicability to the field of early childhood education, and then develops the integrated tea ceremony program for children incorporating children's tea ceremony activity with other curriculum areas. This integrated tea ceremony program consists of goals, contents, teaching-learning methods, teacher's roles and evaluation.
[Research Question 2] examines the applicability of the integrated tea ceremony program for children to the field of early childhood education. Subject of the study were 60 five-year old children who attend E kindergarten in Gwangju metropolitan city.
Three groups were randomly assigned to the kindergarten: free optional activity group was comparative group, the tea ceremony activity group was experimental group I and the integrated tea ceremony activity group was experimental group II, and then the effects of these activities on children's social intelligence․self-concept․language ability․theory of mind․emotional intelligence were compared and analyzed.
Experimental treatment was administered to experimental group I and experimental group II for total 24 times, twice a week over 12 weeks from April 21 to July 12, 2008, and comparative group was also given the space for enjoying tea during their free optional activity twice a week through total 24 times.
Research instruments used for this study included children's social intelligence test instrument by Park Nang Ja (2004) and children's self-concept test instrument by Lee Hyun Gyeong (2004). In addition, it employed the test area of verbality of K-WPPSI restructured by Park Hye Won, Gwak Geum Ju and Park Gwang Bae (1996) to test children's language ability, 'content change task' developed by Taylor and Carlson to test the theory of children's mind, 'location transfer task' developed by Carlson and Moses, and 'theory of mind task' by Lee Young Ja, Lee Jong Suk and Shin Eun Su. It used emotional intelligence instrument made by Lee Byeong Rae (1997) based on the theory of Salovey and Mayer (1990) and Goleman.
Pre-test was conducted to examine homogeneity between experimental and comparative groups and then post-test was carried out to compare the effects after experimental treatment for 12 weeks (24 times).
In addition, it made prescores covariate to examine the differences in social intelligence ․ self-concept ․ language ability ․ theory of mind ․ emotional intelligence among three groups, and differences between experimental groups I and II, and control group were verified. Scheffe analysis was conducted to know significant differences among three groups and the results were compared.
The results of the present study can be summarized as follows.
First, the integrated tea ceremony program for children supported teachers' understanding of tea ceremony activities by consultation with its professionals and teachers based on literature survey and field application. Further the integrated tea ceremony program which can be incorporated with other subjects in the area of children's development to contribute to the development of children into the whole man.
The goals of the integrated tea ceremony program are to understand the contents of integrated curriculum related to tea ceremony activity, enjoy tea ceremony activities and experience various and unique activity expressions.
Children can have confidence by doing their own roles through this experience, develop positive attitude and competence and be the whole man through the tea ceremony activity and the integrated curriculum activity.
Contents of program included other activities from language․art․math․science․social studies․music related to tea ceremony and teaching-learning method of the program is composed of introduction, body and completion.
Teachers in the integrated tea ceremony program play the roles of explainer and encourager in the stage of introduction and of encourager, promoter and guide in the stage of development. Final stage consists of group and personal evaluation to examine the understanding of tea ceremony activity and the goal of integrated curriculum areas.
Second, as a result of examining effects of the integrated tea ceremony program, it was effective in children's social intelligence․self-concept․language ability․theory of mind․emotional intelligence.
In conclusion, children who participated in the integrated tea ceremony program for children developed by this study showed increase in social intelligence․self-concept․language ability․theory of mind․emotional intelligence. Therefore, the integrated tea ceremony program for children can be operated effectively to enhance ability to take part in tea ceremony and curricular knowledge. Therefore, it suggests that the tea ceremony program to lead to integrated development in connection with other subjects and help the whole man development of children can be applicable to the field of early childhood education.