The purpose of this study was to examine what gave a boost to daycare teachers, what difficulties they faced over time and what reform measures could relieve their difficulties.
The subjects in this study were 10 daycare teachers who had worked for 10...
The purpose of this study was to examine what gave a boost to daycare teachers, what difficulties they faced over time and what reform measures could relieve their difficulties.
The subjects in this study were 10 daycare teachers who had worked for 10 years or more. An in-depth interview was held to gather data, and the collected data were analyzed. The findings of the study were as follows:
First, there appeared several things that gave a boost to the daycare teachers: trust in sustained self-development, finding it rewarding to serve as daycare teachers, people around, working environments and their own problem-solving ability.
As for trust in sustained self-development, they found themselves to keep developing as their career got larger. They thought that they were in the course of development and of finding strong role models for themselves, and they set their goals to achieve. Regarding finding it rewarding to serve as daycare teachers, they viewed their occupation as attractive in that it was autonomous and suitable for their aptitude. At the same time, they found it rewarding to step up the constructive development of preschoolers, and they were loved and respected by parents and preschoolers, which all gave a boost to them.
An organizational climate that the heads of daycare centers and colleague teachers approved of experienced teachers with respect also gave them a boost. They were able to take care of their families while working as daycare teachers thanks to support and encouragement from their families, and they got together to share and take advantage of information on daycare and daycare center events. Such a gathering was of use for information acquisition and coming up with good ideas. The experienced teachers were given preferential treatment, and those who worked in the highly regarded daycare centers were especially proud of their occupation. Besides, being approved of by people around gave them a boost as well. In relation to the management of the daycare centers, the teachers were encouraged to keep working when the daycare centers reflected their opinions well and were concerned about their development. They revitalized themselves by doing something for pleasure or by being involved in religious activities, which made them feel at ease, grateful and ultimately more dedicated to their occupation.
Second, what difficulties they faced as their career got larger was checked. As a result, they found it unfair to take charge of infant classes irrespective of their own experience or disposition. As their career increased, they got to become head teachers or assistant heads of the daycare centers, and they were in conflicts when they worked both as homeroom teachers and middle managers.
Regarding additional difficulties, they felt lonely due to the generation gaps with colleagues and didn't find it easy to work with the younger and less-experienced heads of daycare centers. Moreover, they were underpaid for their academic credential or career or compared to other occupations. They sought after a change since they had been in charge of the same duties over the past decade, and they were anxious about their uncertain future since there was no fixed system in which daycare teachers could get promoted to the position of the heads of daycare centers. As want ads showed, daycare centers just wanted to hire teachers who were in their 20s and had just one or two years of work experience, and they had no option to change their workplace.
Third, in order to improve the job security of daycare teachers, differentiated reeducation should be provided to experienced teachers, and they should be allowed to take an year off to research and recharge themselves. More intensive in-service education should be offered to the heads of daycare centers, and assistant heads who don't take charge of classes should be hired. There should be a systematic system in which daycare teachers could get promoted to the heads of daycare centers, and improved pay criteria should be laid out. Experienced teachers should be helped to get together on a regular basis, and the right of daycare teachers to work should be acknowledged. Counselors should provide them with professional counseling, and they should officially be regarded as teachers. Additional personnels who can sit in for daycare teachers who take a childbirth leave should be supplied, and an official reappointment procedure should be prepared.