An Analysis on the Activities related to "Fostering Basic Mathematical Ability" in the Guideline for the Kindergarten educational Activities.
The Purpose of this study lies in finding out the tendency of current mathematics education for the young c...
An Analysis on the Activities related to "Fostering Basic Mathematical Ability" in the Guideline for the Kindergarten educational Activities.
The Purpose of this study lies in finding out the tendency of current mathematics education for the young children in our country by analysing mathematics related activities in 'the standard guideline for the kindergarten educational activities’ following the kindergarten curriculum revised in 2007
The following are the questions involved in this study.
Question 1) What's the reflection mathematics education contents of mathematics related activities in the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities?
Question 2) What's the reflection extent of mathematics education contents in the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities in accordance with age ?
Question 3) What's the reflection extent of mathematics education contents in the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities in accordance with daily life-based theme?
Question 4) What's the reflection extent of mathematics education contents in the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities in accordance with activities types?
The subjects of this study are 11 'kindergarten educational activities guidelines’ following the kindergarten curriculum revised in 2007 among 13 of them with general theory and full-day class excluded, and the mathematics related activities were selected based on activity goal explained by each activity, curriculum related factors, activity ways, activity assessment.
The basis for mathematics educational contents for young children was classified into 5 contents based on the content system of 'fostering basic mathematical ability' among kindergarten curriculum revised in 2007 for an analysis, and the basis from the analysis on mathematics contents in the 4th kindergarten curriculum by Hong Hae Kyung, and the detailed contents of mathematical inquiry proposed by mathematics educational activity data for young children(Education Ministry, 2005) were adjusted suitable for the content system of 2007 revised kindergarten curriculum to use as a subcategory. The age of the young children for the analysis on their mathematical activities was divided into full 3, 4, 5 years old following the instruction of the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities, and the activities were analysed on the basis of daily life based theme, activity types by dividing into 11 daily life based theme, free choice activities, big. small group activities, outdoor play in harmony, relation of homes and local societies also following the instruction proposed in the guideline for kindergarten educational activities.
This study was conducted as the way of categorizing the activities in the guideline for the educational activities following the 2007 revised kindergarten curriculum based on the analysis basis and then calculated the results with the frequency and percentage.
Following are the results of the study.
First, finding out space & figures, arranging data & showing the results, raising number sense are the mathematics education contents of mathematical activities that accounted for most of the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities. Among the subcategories of the curriculum by grade, number sense appeared to be in the order of number counting, understanding of quantitative relation, number operation, understanding the meaning of numerical use, understanding of big numbers. In knowing of space & figures, spatial composition covered the full range and then followed understanding of topological geometry, figure recognition. In doing of basic measurement, the order was seen as inquiry into measurable properties, direct comparison of materials, randomly measuring units, ordering, In understanding of regularity, pattern recognition was higher than pattern extension & origination though their rate were similar. In data arranging & result showing showed the order of simple distribution, result showing, composite classification.
Second, the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities by grade showed the young children aged 4, 5 were more active in mathematics related activities more than the young children aged 3 when they were classified by age. The activities of the young children aged 3,4,5 were fully covered with raising number sense, knowing the space & figure, data arrangement & results showing, and they all showed low level in doing basic measurement, understanding of regularity. In number sense growing, the young children at any age showed their utmost activities in number counting, in knowing the space & figures, they all were most active in spatial composition. In doing of basic measurement showed differences according to the age such as the activities of 3 years old children concentrated on direct comparison of materials, 4 years children concentrated on inquiry into measurable properties and direct comparison of materials, while 5 years old children concentrated on measurement of random unit. In understanding of regularity, the activities of 3 years old children were concentrated on pattern recognition, 4 years old children on pattern recognition pattern extension & origination at the same rate, 5 years old children were more active in pattern extension & origination. In materials arranging & result showing, they all were most active in simple classification and in result showing their activities became gradually vigorous in order of the children aged 3, aged 4, aged 5.
Third, the order of the mathematics education contents in the guideline for kindergarten educational activities appeared to be spring. summer. autumn, winter, all the countries in the world. our country. tools necessary for daily life, me and my family. our village. health and safety. kindergarten friends and transportation. animals and plants. nature & environment and life. In fostering number sense, mathematics activities were evenly distributed in every daily life based themes in general, and environment, life showed the least weight. Finding out space & figures also showed generally uniform distribution, followed by our village. our country. tools necessary for daily life. In doing basic measurement, the activities were concentrated on spring. summer. autumn. winter compared with other activities, and activities were seen in our village. transportation. our country. In understanding of regularity, the a great much activities concentrated relatively on health . safety, and no activities were seen in kindergarten and friends, animals and plants, our country. In material arranging & result showing, a great deal of activities were concentrated on the many countries in the world.
Fourth, the contents of the mathematics education contents in the guideline for the kindergarten educational activities showed the number. manipulative play as the realm that accounted for most and most mathematics activities were concentrated on number . manipulative play realm. In fostering number sense, the activities leaned too much toward number .manipulative play in entire 5 categories. In finding out space & figures, a great deal of activities leaned too much toward number. manipulative play and science realms in topological geometry. and in figure recognition, a great much of activities were seen in number. manipulative play and modeling fields. In spatial composition, much activities were distributed in block play more than in number. manipulative play fields unlike other subcategories. In doing basic measurement, a great deal of activities were seen in number. manipulative play and science realms. In inquiry into measurable properties and direct comparison of materials, activities were detected much in science and number. manipulative play realms, in ordering, most activities were seen in number. manipulative play, in measuring random unit, in number. manipulative play and outdoor play, science realms, and mathematical activities were seen only in science field. In understanding regularity and material arranging & result showing cases, activities leaned too much toward number. manipulative play.