유아교사의 생태유아교사 이미지에 관한 연구

A Study on the Image of Early Childhood Teachers Eco-Early Childhood Teachers

본 연구의 목적은 유아교사들이 가지고 있는 생태유아교사에 대한 주관적인 이미지와 그 이유를 알아봄으로써 생태유아교사의 자질, 자격, 교사상을 정립하고 이를 토대로 생태유아교사 양성 방향을 제시하며, 나아가 생태유아교육의 실천과 확산을 위한 기초자료를 마련하고자 이루어졌다. 이를 위해 유치원과 보육시설 유아교사 199명을 대상으로 생태유아교사에 대한 이미지와 그 이유를 조사하여 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 유아교사가 생태유아교사에 대해 가지고 있는 이미지는 ‘자연과 생명모심’, ‘행복한 아이와 노는 친구’, ‘화려하지 않고 순수함’, ‘생활과 삶의 지킴이’, ‘팔방미인’, ‘일반 유아교사와 동등한 이미지’의 6가지 유형으로 분류되었으며, 각 유형별 이미지 특성을 통해 생태유아교사의 다양한 교사 자질과 역할을 재정립하였고 생태유아교육의 실천 방향에 대한 시사점을 찾을 수 있었다.

This study examines early childhood teachers perceptions of eco-early childhood teachers. This paper discusses, the qualifications, qualities and images of an eco-early childhood teachers, as well as ways to foster competent eco-early childhood teachers, and ultimately to provide some information on how to facilitate the successful implementation and spread of eco-early childhood education. The subjects in this study were 199 teachers who worked in kindergartens and daycare centers. Their perceptions of eco-early childhood teachers were investigated as well as their reasons for holding their particular images of eco-early childhood teachers. As a result, six distinct images of eco-early childhood teachers emerged. The first was a teacher who values nature and life, the second was a teacher who plays with happy kids as their friends, the third was a teacher who takes care of the lives of preschoolers, the fourth was a teacher who is not showy but innocent, the fifth was a teacher who is a jack of all trades and the sixth is a teacher whose image is identical to that of early childhood teachers. This study shows that the image and roles of eco-early childhood teachers are defined from diverse angles, which determines some of the right directions for eco-early childhood education.