숲에서 나타나는 유아들의 생태적 감수성에 관한 연구 = A Study on Ecological Sensitivity of Young Children Appeared in Forest

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study is to investigate ecological sensitivity of young children by observing activities on ecological sensitivity in forest. This study suggests that forest can be an significant space to foster young children's ecological sensitivity through forest activities.

The research questions for this study are as follows:
1. How is the degree of young children's ecological sensitivity appeared in forest?
2. What is the trait of young children's ecological sensitivity appeared in forest?

In order to make answer to these research questions, the following processes were performed.
The participants in this study were 16 children(8 boys and 8 girls) in a mixed-age class experiencing in forest regularly at a daycare center located in the city of B. This study was conducted from June to September, 2014. Data for this study were collected through observing young children in forest, interviewing with teachers and young children and writing out researcher's journal, as well as testing ecological sensitivity for young children experiencing in forest and young children who have hardly ever experienced the forest. These data were categorized by qualitative methods and analyzed by an inductive methods.

The findings of this study were as follows:
The result for the first research question was that there are significant differences in young children's ecological sensitivity according to the degree of forest experience. The ecological sensitivity test for young children experiencing the nature regularly showed high average compared to young children who have hardly ever experienced the nature. Statistically significant differences were observed in four subfactors of ecological sensitivity like 'interest in nature', 'aesthetic experience in nature', 'emotional stability' and 'sympathy for nature', but there was no significant difference in subfactor of 'ecological imagination'.
The results for the second research question were as follows.
First, young children in forest showed their ecological sensitivity deeply by encountering the nature. This led for young children to notice a change in nature according to the weather or season and observe it closely. And young children experienced an aesthetic sense of beauty in their natural world.
Second, young children recognized that they coexisted with nature, which connected to feel sense of place or take care of lives and respect it And these sensitivities of nature led for young children to help their friend in need.
Third, young children could develop their ecological sensitivity using imagination in nature. Through emotional imagination, young children felt sympathy when lives of nature were sick and painful. And through intellectual imagination, young children could make their own plaything from nature creatively. Finally, through imaginative fantasy, young children enjoyed their imaginary space in forest by recalling a mythical character.
In conclusion, this study suggests the role of nature including forest in the development of young children's ecological sensitivity. In open and flexible forest, young children can move their body and feel their sense freely, which led to foster their potential sensitivity as well as their creativity and imagination. And it helps for young children to build healthy relationship with nature and the world.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. 서 론 1
• 1. 연구의 필요성 및 목적 1
• 2. 연구문제 7
• 3. 용어의 정의 7
• Ⅱ. 이론적 배경 8
• 1. 숲과 유아 8
• 2. 감수성 14
• 3. 유아의 생태적 감수성 22
• Ⅲ. 연구방법 33
• 1. 연구자 33
• 2. 연구 현장 및 참여자 34
• 3. 연구도구 38
• 4. 연구절차 42
• 5. 자료수집 43
• 6. 자료 처리 및 분석 47
• 7. 연구의 윤리성 53
• Ⅳ. 숲에서 나타나는 유아들의 생태적 감수성 54
• 1. 유아들의 생태적 감수성 정도 54
• 2. 유아들의 생태적 감수성 특성 57
• Ⅴ. 요약 및 논의 96
• 1. 요약 96
• 2. 논의 및 제언 98
• 참고문헌 103
• 부 록 114
• Abstract 123