In this study, how the forest experience activities have an effect on children's emotional intelligence with the empirical study, and the purposes of the research is consider the value and educational significance through the qualitative research rela...
In this study, how the forest experience activities have an effect on children's emotional intelligence with the empirical study, and the purposes of the research is consider the value and educational significance through the qualitative research related to the changing process with are perception of the nature and attitude in the process of the forest experience activities. Such studies to achieve the goal, set research problem are as follows.
First, how the forest experience activities influence the children's emotional intelligence?
Second, what are forest experience activities for children's perception of nature and changing their attitude?
The subjects were children who are composed of twenty-two children’s experimental group and twenty-two children' comparative group mixed aged four and five in the full-day classes of D-kindergarten located in Gyeongju. To verify children's improvement emotional intelligence effects, Daniel Goleman(1995) and Moon Yong Lin(1996)'s EI(Emotional Intelligency) are based by examination and Park Hea Soo(2008)'s examination is fixed to reliability and validity to children's standard which are testified and used, also Kim Gyeong-ae(2011) used emotional intelligence for the teacher's standard. Result of pre-test from experimental group and comparative group, study tool of reliability and two groups of homogeneity are confirmed. During nine weeks of experiments, experimental group did children leading forest experience and associated activity in class for an hour and thirty minutes and two to three times in a week. Comparative group is experienced outdoor activity planed by teacher who is centered by revised curriculum of life theme. There was a post-test to know about how does the forest activity effect to children's emotional intelligence, and to verify of two group's differences t-test has operated, and collected statistic data's process are analyzed by SPSS 21.0 version program.
Besides, the second problem of research related to forest experience activities of perception of nature and changing attitude run parallel qualitative study with participant observation. Then, investigating children's behavior and language, various representation activities and considering process of perception of nature and its attitude within the inherent significance of the education in the forest experience activities and associated process activities. Collected data are participant observation, record with personal interview, photos, recording the video, parents' interview, document material, and representation, then this data suggested by Kim Young-cheon(1998) are progressed with three courses like transcribing, memo, coding, finding the topic. Applying the validity of qualitative research methods of Glesne's(1999) ideas which are triangulation, colleague rating, self-reflection as a research, member checking, rich & thick description, advisors and consultant to increase credibility and validity as a researcher. The results obtained by the research are as follows.
First, the results of emotional intelligence show that children who have experienced the forest activities improved than the comparison group of children, and results gained that post test was larger than the pretest. Four sub-factors of emotional intelligence areas which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, awareness of others, optimism are highly improved compared to comparison group, and show meaningful differences. Hence, forest experience activities positively influence the emotional intelligence.
Second, through analysis of children's behavior, language and various representation the process of changing the perception of nature and their attitude considered the procedures which is changed phased as strange forest→ meeting forest→ experiencing the forest with five senses→ creative forest→ forest of life with together. In other words, when children's voluntary experiences of their nature are constantly maintained, negative emotions about nature like unconcern, unfamiliarity, fear would be disappeared, besides nature with curiosity and interest cause transition. Moreover, children use their five senses to explore the nature with active posture, then play activity with nature would naturally be appeared. Sometimes, this play activity gives children adventures, challenge, and creative experiences. Children’s thoughts and their behavior are naturally formed through the forest activities, and they accept the nature with the forest experience activities as it is, also they perception the nature as coexistence relationship, and forest activities cause establishing values and changing their environmental conservation.
This research proves that forest experience activities and associated activities in the class room improve the children's emotional intelligence and cause positive effects of nature awareness and changing their attitudes. Therefore, these forest experience activities could be the means of education to children who would become the leading role in the future of society to increase their improving emotional intelligence & changing perception of nature and attitudes, and early childhood education are expected to apply in this field. Moreover, it is highly expected that this supported meaningful base data would expand the forest kindergarten and forest class, forest activities so that effective value would be high.