The responses of young children who are readers were explored in reading picture books related to global citizenship education. The purpose of this study is to provide basic data to understand the possibility of field application and detailed understa...
The responses of young children who are readers were explored in reading picture books related to global citizenship education. The purpose of this study is to provide basic data to understand the possibility of field application and detailed understanding of picture book reading for global citizenship education, which builds the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes necessary for young children to contribute to a more inclusive, just, and peaceful world. It also provides basic data to understand the educational value of reading picture books as a teaching and learning method for global citizenship education. To this end, the research problems set in this study are as follows.
1. What are the responses of young children in reading picture books related to the environment for global citizenship education?
2. What are the responses of young children in reading picture books related to human rights for global citizenship education?
2.1. What are the responses of young children in reading picture books related to discrimination against human rights for global citizenship education?
2.2. What are the responses of young children in reading picture books related to human rights for the socially and economically disadvantaged for global citizenship education?
3. What are the responses of young children in reading picture books related to peace for global citizenship education?
The study participants were 14 5-year-old young children (9 boys and 5 girls) of S kindergarten, and a qualitative study was conducted through participatory observation. The results of the study are as follows. Firstly, the young children’s response to reading picture books related to the environment was to discover the value of nature. They felt the beauty of nature, understood how to live with nature, and understood the convenient and healthy life that nature provides. They recognized the superficial and hidden changes from clean nature to a damaged environment, that is, the superficial changes that are intuitively revealed in picture books and the hidden changes that are not intuitively revealed. They recognized the changes in the global environment, including our country. They understood the minds of characters who exchange rescues in rescue situations for the environment. They practiced and planned ways to clean the environment. Specifically, they thought about experiences that they had directly practiced in their lives or things that they could practice for the environment.
Secondly, the young children’s response to reading picture books related to human rights on discrimination was to recognize the appearance of discrimination. They recognized situations of being bullied, situations of being criticized, and situations of discrimination against women. It was shown to understand how to deal with discrimination. It was shown to understand how to deal with discrimination with help from those around you and how to deal with discrimination with your own efforts. It was shown to fight against discrimination. Specifically, it was shown to devise a non-discriminatory attitude and a way to deal with discrimination on your own. It was shown to figure out the changes in the hearts of characters who have experienced or been discriminated against after overcoming discrimination.
Next, the response of young children in reading picture books related to human rights for the socially and economically disadvantaged was shown to recognize socially and economically difficult situations in life. They recognized grandfather who were left alone, children who were sold away, and people who were struggling due to disasters. It was shown to understand situations of overcoming social and economic difficulties and devise methods. It was shown to understand situations where people make efforts on their own to overcome difficulties, understand situations where they give and receive help, and devise things they can do in situations where they become characters and give and receive help. It was shown to share experiences where they and those around them helped each other. It was shown to understand situations after overcoming social and economic difficulties. It was shown to understand situations where difficulties are overcome as changes in the surrounding situation and understand the value of living together.
Thirdly, the response of the young children in reading the picture book related to peace was to recognize the appearance of war. They recognized the devastation of war and the devastation of war in other countries currently at war. They recognized the changes brought about by war. They recognized refuge and participation in the war as soldiers, and they recognized the demilitarized zone and our country as a divided country. They hoped for a peaceful world. They hoped for our country to be unified and predicted the changes after our country is unified.