개방적 놀이재료의 교육적 의미: 1세 반 영아의 경험을 중심으로

The Educational Significance of Open-Ended Play Materials: A Focus on the Experiences of One-Year-Old Infants

Objective: This study explored how one-year-old infants learn through play with open-ended materials in a daycare setting. Methods: The research was conducted over nine months (April-December 2024) in a one-year-old classroom at S Daycare Center in S City. Using participant observation, the researcher, who also served as the homeroom teacher, documented play through 15,055 photos, 616 videos, and 155 pages of records. From this dataset, 6,665 photos and 376 videos were selected for qualitative analysis, focusing on four categories of open-ended materials: fabric, paper, color, and light. Results: Analysis identified three central aspects of infant learning. First, infants engaged in transformative play, reconstructing and applying prior experiences in creative ways. Second, they demonstrated initiative and problem-solving by independently selecting and experimenting with materials as well as collaborating with peers. Third, they created personal spaces with the materials and discovered meaning through sensory exploration and spatial arrangement. Conclusion/Implications: Findings indicate that open-ended play environments support autonomy, creativity, and meaning-making in early learning. The study provides valuable insights into how infants construct knowledge through self-directed play and emphasizes the importance of flexible, responsive environments in shaping early childhood education practices.