유치원의 기본생활 교육에 관한 연구 = A Study on Basic Social Education in Korean Kindergartens

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of the study was, first of all, to define what is the right concept for basic social education for young children and to find out what are the main social aspects which have to be taught in kindergarten. Korean kindergartens have a tradition of thinking of basic social education as the formation of habits such as bowing to elders, walking on the left side, talking quietly and eating without talking etc., etc.,... Nevertheless the basic social education in Korean kindergartens during the last 70 years has been very superficial and mainly external behavior-modification-oriented. There was no consideration for the changes in children`s values. We failed to motivate young children to use good manners spontaneously. It is time to think this over very carefully and do whatever we have to do in kindergartens. This society is suffering and will suffer more from a rapidly increasing rate of juvenile delinquency. Young children should know from their very early years what attitudes and behavior are acceptable and what are not in their society. To define the basic social education of the kindergarten, the theories of many philosophers and educators were analysed. First the research showed that Korean Kindergarten teachers should stop using the term habit formation, because it makes teachers think of basic social education as habit formation or training young children in external behavior only. Basic social education should be understood as an education in the right social attitudes as well as an education in the formation of good habits. The basic purpose of social education is, to help young children to understand, at their own developmental level, the social norms and principles which have been formed and accumulated over long periods of time in their society and to help them to behave properly according to those. To find out which social behavior has to be learned in the kindergarten 1,200 teachers were surveyed. They were asked at first to write down the five social characteristics which annoy them the most. The teachers`respondes mostly included young Koreans` egocentric personality, selfishness, hedonism, materialism, lack of perseverance, lack of identity, self-indulgence, and lack of morality. The most interesting fact was that no-one wrote down the lack fo honesty, diligence and responsibility which was discussed in the daily newspapers recently and suggested by many authors as the most important social attitudes. Researchers choose 18 social characteristics to be taught in kindergartens based on the results of the survey and the analysis of the reference books. These are perseverance, respect for others, keeping social order, development of personal and national identity, clean habits, respect for cultural tradition, cooperative spirit, public morality, abstinence, reduced materialism, ability to make concessions, honesty, good manners, positive thinking, respect for living things, trusting others, responsibility, and diligence. The task of kindergarten teachers is to transform these social attitudes and skills into play activities with which to teach young children.