This study aims to examine and analyze the experiences of teachers in accreditation process of 'S' Kindergarten, served by this researcher as the principal, and changes of teachers and the kindergarten through assistance by the researcher and professi...
This study aims to examine and analyze the experiences of teachers in accreditation process of 'S' Kindergarten, served by this researcher as the principal, and changes of teachers and the kindergarten through assistance by the researcher and professional assistant.
This study was conducted in 'S‘ Kindergarten located in Daejeon from April to October, 2010, and its participants were an assistant principal and 11 teachers. Data for the study were collected by journals of participants and researcher, observation, group and individual interview, documentary search, phone calls, E-mails, occasional interview, voice recording, and note takings. The research also tried to enhance the validity through reliability verification courses (Lincoln & Cuba, 1985) which passed by confirmation works of participants on the researcher's analysis and interpretation.
As results of data analysis, emotions felt by teachers in the kindergarten accreditation process and changes of teachers and the kindergarten according to assistance are as follows.
Teachers have experienced the emotion of "difficulties" in the kindergarten accreditation process such as ‘understanding accreditation indexes’, 'drawing up accreditation-related documents’, ‘promoting alloted tasks for accreditation preparation’, ‘burden due to open class’, ‘anxiety about results of accreditation.’ On the other hand, teachers showed changes through assistance to accreditation process such as ‘confidence by improvement of teaching abilities’, ‘understanding on operation and management systems’, ‘formation of organizational culture of interdependence’, ‘formation of attachment to kindergarten’, ‘inspiration of desire to develop the speciality,’ etc. Moreover, the kindergarten showed the following changes through assistance in the preparation course for kindergarten evaluation.
In an area of curriculum, teachers achieved qualitative improvement of teacher-infant interaction through instructional supervision by professional assistants. Moreover, new evaluation tools were provided, based on the 2007 revised national kindergarten curriculum.
In an area of educational environments, the kindergarten strived for construction of integrated environments, simultaneously in consideration of physical and functional aspects, such as educational materials and tools by level in relation to topics of daily life, in construction of indoor educational environments, and established new standards of classification systems to manage educational materials and tools systematically and used them effectively. Also, outdoor educational environments have been changed effectively.
In an area of health and safety, the kindergarten let infants develop their strength through everyday morning walk to look around the kindergarten, feel the change and beauty of nature, and build basic living habits such washing hands and brushing teeth before and after snack or meal times. Moreover, it conducted sanitary management of food materials and cooking processes by making public pictures of meals and snacks supplied from the kindergarten, as well as menus, on its homepage. It also let infants lead a life safely through regular fire drill and periodic safety check of indoor and outdoor facilities.
In an area of operation and management, the kindergarten achieved systematic management and improvement to promote early childhood education activities more effectively. It let teachers know the existing personnel regulations and improve them, and maintain objectivity and transparency of personnel management through organization of a committee which is participated by teachers. To support for welfare to teachers at their requests through extension of opportunities of training. Moreover, it revitalized its homepage for communication with parents and promoted communication with local society through fair, benefit performances, and consolatory performances by teachers, parents, and children.
Moreover, it conducted operation compatible with processes of children development and curriculum through establishment and fulfillment of self plans which are suitable for present conditions of the kindergarten and indexes of city and local offices of education.
The results of this study deduced the difficulties of kindergarten teachers through the culture of kindergarten accreditation and the accreditation preparation process and through the assistance process, teachers felt encouraged and this study drew the effective changes of teachers and kindergarten.