The purpose of this study is to examine early childhood teachers' recognition and practice regarding character education using picture books. To address this, the study posed the following research questions:
1. What is the recognition of early childh...
The purpose of this study is to examine early childhood teachers' recognition and practice regarding character education using picture books. To address this, the study posed the following research questions:
1. What is the recognition of early childhood teachers regarding character education using picture books?
2. How do early childhood teachers practice character education using picture books based on their perceptions?
This study conducted a survey targeting 213 homeroom teachers of 3-5 year olds working in kindergarten and daycare center. The questionnaire consisted of questions on the recognition and practice of early childhood teachers, and the structure of this study was appropriately developed by referring to previous studies(Kyeong-ok Park, 2010; Ji-hee Park, 2016; Hyun-joo Lee, 2017; Jin-kyung Lim, 2017; Aekyung Choi, 2016). Data analysis included frequencies, percentages, averages, and standard deviations.
The research findings are as follows: first of all, as a result of examining early childhood teachers' recognition of character education using picture books, it was found that their awareness of early childhood character education showed both high interest and a strong sense of importance. The main reason why character education in early childhood is important is that early childhood is a critical period for character development, and the attitudes and habits formed during this time continue into adulthood. Early childhood teachers understood that the main purpose of early childhood character education is to help children recognize themselves as valuable beings and respect themselves, and that respect is the most important content of early childhood character education. The majority of teachers responded that it is necessary to use picture books for character education in early childhood, and the reason given by early childhood teachers was that picture books help children develop moral standards of judgment by providing opportunities for indirect experience. The advantages of using picture books in character education for young children were recognized as being their easy accessibility and their ability to stimulate children's interest and attention. Early childhood teachers perceived the effect of using picture books for character education as significantly enhancing the development of children's emotional and behavioral regulation skills, and they considered the role of reading and using picture books in an appropriate manner to be the most important. The benefits of picture books in early childhood character education were recognized as being their easy accessibility and their ability to stimulate children's interest and attention. Early childhood teachers perceived the effect of using picture books for character education as significantly enhancing the development of children's emotional and behavioral regulation skills, and they considered the role of reading and using picture books in an appropriate manner to be the most important.
Second, as a result of examining early childhood teachers' perceptions of the practice of character education using picture books, it was found that character education using picture books is usually conducted twice a month and is often carried out through group activities.
Secondly, as a result of examining early childhood teachers' perceptions of the practice of character education using picture books, it was found that character education using picture books is usually conducted twice a month and is often carried out through group activities. The most important criterion that early childhood teachers consider when selecting picture books is the content of the book. The most frequently addressed content of character education using picture books is respect, followed by communication, honesty, and manners. For character education using picture books, early childhood teachers primarily refer to resources such as internet portals, textbooks related to character education, and teacher support materials. In examining the challenges and needs of early childhood teachers regarding character education using picture books, it was found that teachers did not experience significant difficulties. However, for those who perceived it as difficult, the challenges were related to selecting content appropriate for the developmental level of young children and choosing suitable teaching methods. The need for teacher education in character education using picture books was considered high, and the most requested topics for teacher training were criteria for selecting character-related picture books and the meaning and educational value of character education using picture books.
Based on the above results, there is a need to utilize picture books for character education in early childhood. Furthermore, support is needed for the development of expertise so that early childhood teachers can understand and practice how to read and use picture books in appropriate ways. Additionally, to ensure that character education using picture books is implemented in an integrated manner, specific guidelines and support are required. This suggests that systematic teacher education and the development of teacher support materials to enhance teachers' competencies should be carried out.