A Study on the Separation Anxiety of Infants at the Attending the Nursery: Focus on the Relationship between Infants, Nursery Teachers and Parents

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23356
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: :Education and related fields
• Research Institution: Hiroshima Cosmopolitan University
• Principal Investigator: MOTOOKA MIHOKO 広島都市学園大学, 子ども教育学部, 講師(移行) (20850803)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 分離不安 / 親子分離 / 登園 / １歳児クラス / 保育者 / 母親 / 乳児保育 / 意識

Outline of Final Research Achievements

An investigation of separation anxiety among children attending preschool revealed that separation anxiety does not necessarily decrease after the initial period of attendance, and that each child experiences periods of high or low anxiety. It was also found that the first year of a child’s life, which is typically the time when separation anxiety is considered to be strong, is not necessarily the period when parent-child separation becomes difficult. Interviews with caregivers revealed that it is necessary to support children through difficulties in adapting to changes in the family situation, delineating the importance of devising ways to assign caregivers and to collaborate with other caregivers. Further, the interviews with mothers of children with strong separation anxiety indicated their experiences of psychological burden and a sense of isolation related to child-rearing in general, including when their children attended preschool.

Free Research Field

保育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によってわかった登園児の親子分離に対する支援は、①年間を通して保育者配置を手厚くすること②持ち上がりの保育者を配置するなど、家庭や母親の状況変化に対する子どもの適応困難を支援すること③泣く子に対応する保育者がその子に意識を傾注できるよう保育者間で連携すること、及び、連携可能な人数配置をすること④第一次反抗期の子どもの登園の困難さを支援するという視点から、朝の保育や受け入れ方を工夫すること⑤泣きに対する保育者の専門性を構築すること⑥連絡ノートの記述や日頃の会話から母親の思いを汲み取ることや、保護者の思いに対応した返事や言葉かけをすることに関する保育者の専門性を構築すること、である。