Q방법론을 활용한 영유아교사의 학습공동체에 관한 인식 연구

A Study on Awareness of Learning Community of Early Childhood Teachers Using Q Methodology

Objective: This study aims to analyze the types and characteristics of learning communities as perceived by early childhood teachers Methods: To this end, the Q methodology was applied. A total of 230 Q-population statements were collected through literature review, interviews, and open-ended questionnaires, and 34 final Q-sample statements were selected. Thirty early child-hood teachers were then selected as the P-sample, and Q-sorting was conducted. The data were analyzed using KADE v1.3.1. Results: The results showed that perceptions of learning commun-ities were categorized into four types. Type 1, “Professional Learning Communities that Foster Growth,” includes teachers who perceive learning communities as opportunities to grow togeth-er with colleagues and to enact professional competence. Type 2, “Communities of practice for shared understanding and experimentation,” reflects teachers who hold positive perceptions about sharing and engaging in new challenges together. Type 3, “Communities Where Support and Burden Coexist,” includes teachers who experience burden and difficulty in learning communities but also recognize the potential for enhancing professional competence through collaboration. Type 4, “Communities of Voluntary Participation and Shared Reflection,” represents teachers who perceive a sense of belonging by participating voluntarily and engaging in shared reflection with members. Conclusions: This study is meaningful in that it provides foundational data for establishing cus-tomized support strategies for learning communities by identifying the types of teachers’ per-ceptions of learning communities.