Social norms in early childhood education and care: Focusing on beliefs in centers and of practitioners

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20262
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: :Education and related fields
• Research Institution: Ochanomizu University
• Principal Investigator: Tsujitani Machiko お茶の水女子大学, 基幹研究院, 助教 (90906265)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 規範 / 保育 / 面接調査 / 質問紙調査 / 保育観 / 遊び

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to examine social norms that children encounter during their early childhood education and care with regard to their content and context. Specifically, factors in the attitudes of practitioners, as well as how they are shared among practitioners, were discussed. The results of individual and group interviews with practitioners indicated that not only the actual situation of the children, but also the existing environment, the philosophy of the center, the ideas of other practitioners, and the situation of the society outside the center were interrelated, leading to judgments. Furthermore, the need for opportunities to share these interrelated factors was suggested. The results of the questionnaire survey also suggested differences in the judgment tendencies of individual practitioners related to their perception of the number of rules, and that the relationship between children may be important in playing fighting, which is a difficult game to support.

Free Research Field

保育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

乳幼児期の保育・教育においては「道徳性・規範意識の芽生え」が重視されているが、子どもが実際に園で接する具体的な規範の内容やその背景、特に保育者の考え方の構造については十分に検討されてこなかった。また保育実践の中では保育観の相違や規範に関する判断の相違が課題となっていた。本研究は保育者の考え方について子どもの実態とともに園・保育者間での理念の共有や園外社会の価値観なども関わっていることを示すことで、園の規範に関して検討する上での枠組みを示すことができたと考えられる。さらに戦いごっこについての判断の多様性を示すことで、保育における遊びと規範との関係についても議論を提起した点にも意義がある。