성, 연령, 교사-영아관계와 영아의 놀이상호작용

Gender, Age, Teacher-Infant Relationships and Infant Free-play Interactions

Objective: This study examines the relationship between infants' free-play interaction according to the infant's gender, age, and teacher-infant relationship. Methods: The subjects of the study were 54 1-2 year-old infants and 9 homeroom teachers from 4 daycare centers located in G city. To observe free-play interaction, Kim Min-hee's (2010) free-play interaction scale was used. The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) developed by Pianta (1992) was used as a questionnaire adapted and modified by Jeong (2009). Results: First, there was no difference in infant free-play interaction according to the gender of infants. Second, as for the free-play behaviors of infants by age, 1-year-old infants showed more individual behaviors, positive interactions with teachers, and more negative interaction behaviors with peers, while 2-year-old infants showed more positive interactions with peers. Third, the teacher-infant relationship was an influential variable in infants' free-play behavior. Conclusions: These results suggest that teachers should respond sensitively by considering the developmental characteristics and individual differences of infants. Therefore, based on these results, practical implications for teacher-infant interaction are suggested.