This is an action research the author, as a teacher in charge, firsthand carried out to activate Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children. The purpose of this research was to analyze the problems of mathematics education in...
This is an action research the author, as a teacher in charge, firsthand carried out to activate Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children. The purpose of this research was to analyze the problems of mathematics education in the kindergarten and then examine meaningful changes presented by children and teachers in the process of executing improving plans, thus deriving positive changes in the knowledge, process and attitude toward mathematics from young children and increasing teacher's teaching efficacy and expertise in mathematics education.
For this, following research questions were established:
First, 'How does the course of an action research on the activation of Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children consist of?'
Second, 'What changes do children present with the action research on the activation of Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children?'
Third, 'What changes do teachers present with the action research on the activation of Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children?'
Based on the above questions, research was carried out for a 5 months period from March to July, 2015. Study subjects were 26 children of 5 years old in the Haneul Class of a kindergarten attached to the S Elementary School in Y City, Gyeonggi-do, for which the author working as a teacher in charge. In order to carry out this action research on the activation of Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children, the author collected data for qualitative research using such techniques as participatory observation, pictures, video recording, individual interview of children, teacher's writing of self-reflective journals, open classes and collegial supervision. Results from data collection and analysis were described by the process of action research in 1~6 sessions and the changes of teachers and children presented in the process of action research.
Study findings are as follows:
First, the action research was carried out in 6 sessions. In these sessions, a cyclic research was carried out to diagnose the difficulties and problems of executing the Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children, grope after improving plans, apply/observe/evaluate the improving plans and then work out supplement plans for practice. The action research carried out in 6 sessions presented positive changes in teacher's teaching improvement of mathematics education and in children's knowledge, process and attitude towards mathematics via action plans for the activation of Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education.
Second, regarding children's changes in the process of action research, they actively carried out interactions among them using mathematical vocabularies. Some of them took pleasure in mathematical research activities and naturally used processing techniques of mathematics. And some of them took a continuous interest in mathematics, actively participated in the activities of mathematical area, took pleasure plays, and immersed in large-group mathematical activities.
Third, regarding teacher's changes in the process of action research, they took pleasure in the research process of mathematics education. They reanalyzed the contents of training for mathematics education, applied it to the class, made the most of professional learning community and then improved teaching, and found out mathematical scenes in daily life and then applied it to the class actively. They used the action research as an opportunity to enhance their professional competence for mathematics education. They understood the contents of Nuri Curriculum mathematics education sufficiently and then applied it to the class. And they continuously increased their teaching efficacy for mathematics education via the improvement of mathematics class.
As above, the action research on the activation of Nuri Curriculum-based mathematics education for 5 years old children was meaningful in that it could diagnose teacher's practical problems in the class and then improve it as a practical process of performing mathematics education. In addition, the action research provided teachers opportunities to learn/grow up to a specialized teacher. Therefore, the author hopes this kind of action research will be actively carried out in the kindergarten as a field research in the future, thus making teachers activate mathematics education in the scenes of early childhood education, improve it gradually, and increase the educational effect of mathematics education.