A Study on Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers' Childhood Play Experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the childhood play experiences of pre-service early childhood teachers and their meanings. The study participants were 58 second-year students (55 females and 3 males) of the Department of Early Childhood Education at a junior college in Gyeonggi-do. The research method consisted of the study participants in small groups discussing their childhood play experiences, and then writing a report on the contents of the discussion. The collected data extracted meaningful words and phrases from the contents of the discussion report and analyzed their meaning. The results of the study are as follows. The games that the pre-service teachers liked and disliked in childhood were individual play, group play, indoor play, and outdoor play, and the reasons for liking or disliking them reflected the characteristics of the play, the characteristics of the play, and the individual inclinations. In addition, what I was able to gain through childhood play experiences helped me develop in various fields, and I was able to feel positive emotions and create memories. It is believed that the results of this study will help pre-child teachers understand children's play experiences and meanings by recalling their childhood play experiences, and will provide basic data for strengthening play guidance and support capabilities by acquiring children's play support skills.