< VOLUME 53, No.2 >

Ryusuke Ikeda.  Features of Preschool Teachers’ Understanding of Children in Daily Practice: Analysis of Preschool Teachers’ Reflections on the Interpretation and Evaluation of Children.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 116-126.

This study aims to clarify the features of preschool teachers’ understanding of children, focusing on how pre- school teachers interpret and evaluate the children’s characters in daily practice. The data is based on the reflec- tions of two preschool teachers after their practice.

As for results, first, the preschool teachers have a tendency to understand the children in the context the chil- dren’s development. Second, the preschool teachers’ sense of the children’s problems functions as the perspective from which they attemp to understand the children. Third, it is suggested that understanding the children im- proves the preschool teachers’ expertise. Such mutual development is a feature of preschool teachers’ understand- ing children.

Keywords: Understanding children,  Understanding for mutual development,  Reflection,  Preschool teacher,  Difficult children

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Hiroshi Hatakeyama.  Kindergarten Teachers’ “Reflection in Action”: Based on their Acts of Recalling.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 127-137.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the contents and processes of "reflection in action" when kindergarten teachers associate with a child. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with kindergarten teachers (N=5). Linguistic data from interviews were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Approach. As aresult, "Reflection in action" is a process involving three steps. The first step is "judgment concerning support," the next step is "evalu- ation of the results of the support," and the last step is "determining the need for re-support and performance." It was also revealed that the content to be considered in each stage are the "child’s needs and situation."

Keywords: kindergarten teachers,  reflection in action,  judgment concerning support,  evaluation of the results of the support,  determining the need for re-support and performance

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Miwako Amano.  Young Children’s Experiences During “Communication Experiential Activities” between Young Children and Junior High School Students: In the Context of Their Lives in Day-care Nurseries and Kindergartens, in What Sort of Scenes do Young Children Communicate with Junior High School Students?

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 138-150.

The purpose of this study was to observe the “communication in experiential activities” implemented between children and junior high school students at day-care nurseries and kindergartens. Also examined was what sort of experiences children had when communicating with students with whom they normally have few opportuni- ties for contact due to age differences. Analysis was made in four categories, including “scenes of free activities,” “scenes of joint activities,” “scenes of basic daily life,” and “scenes of moving from one activity to another.” We found that junior high school students are special entities with whom the children have no contact in their nor- mal lives and that the way students treat them is different from the way they treat their teachers and fellow chil- dren. This creates an atmosphere different from that of the children’s daily lives.

Keywords: Experience of Young Children,  Communication in Experiential Activities,  Young Children and Junior High School Students

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Akane Kanouchi and Kiyomi Kuramochi.  Junior High School Students’ Experiences Interacting with Younger Children during Early Childhood Education and Care: From an Analysis of Student Narratives.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 151-161.

The aim of this study is to examine what junior high school students experience and feel during their experi- ences in early childhood education and care (ECEC). Two junior high school students with low self- esteem were subjects for this study. The self-esteem score of one student was higher after the ECEC, and that of the other one was lower. The narratives written by the two students after the ECEC were analyzed. It was found that the student with the lower score reported more negative feelings than the student with the higher score. The student with the lower score reported hurtful comments and bad treatment from the younger child. Children’s behavior is usually a mixture of both good and bad. What is necessary are lessons for junior high school students, before and after the ECEC, which help them understand the meaning of the behavior of younger children.

Keywords: Experience in Early childhood education and care,  Kindergarten,  Junior high school students,  Self-esteem,  Home economics

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Mihoko Abe.  Practical Study on the Effect of "PANPS Consultation" (Consultation for Proactive Approaches of Nursery Teachers towards Problem Solving) for the Improvement of Behavior in Children with Special Needs: Development and Utilization of the "Behavior Analysis and Support Form”.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 162-173.

The purpose of this study is to examine, by means of a practice case, the effects of "PANPS consultation" on childcare for children with special needs.

The participants were five nursery teachers who were struggling with the challenging behavior of a 3- year-old child suspected of developmental disorder.

Through the six consultation sessions that were carried out over 7 months, and by utilizing the “be- havioral analysis and support form,” they were able to discuss, create and implement a support plan for the child by themselves. As a result, the child developed appropriate behavior and challenging behavior was reduced.

The results suggest that "PANPS consultation” promotes the acquisition of skills necessary for nursery teachers to proactively improve their nursery care for children with special needs.

Keywords: Children with special needs,  Itinerant consultation service,  Childcare consultation,  Support plan,  Improvement of childcare expertise

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Maki Kawaguchi.  Using A Supportive Sheet in Transition Support for Children with Special Needs: Focusing on Periods of Transition to School.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 174-184.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the nature of the transition support of three children with special needs. On this occasion, by following the layout of a supportive sheet, transition was divided into “before transition,” “stage of transition” and “late-stage of transition.” The special features of transition support from the period of transition were then examined.

As a result, the following points became clear. First, the transition support sheet promoted cooperation among childcare centers, kindergartens and elementary schools. Second, by dividing the periods of transition to school, the characteristics of each period were clearly shown. Third, as a way of dealing with parental anxieties concerning transition to school, it was shown that cooperation with parents is necessary from the period “before transition.”

Keywords: Transition to school,  supportive sheet,  children with special needs

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Takumi Mori, Keiko Nakano, Sachiko Sakai and Hiromi Yazawa.  Consultations in Pre-school Settings: Clarifying Realities and Problems: A Qualitative Analysis of Interviews with Management and Veteran Pre- School Teachers.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 185-193.

This study aims to clarify the realities and problems of pre-school teachers who consult with external experts. Regarding the realities and difficulties of attending kindergarten consultations and the methods adopted for child-care practice, interviews were conducted with managers and veteran pre-school teachers who are influential in the implementation of such consultations. The transcripts of the interviews were then analyzed.

The results indicated the following:

1. An ever-present desire for better child-care (Realities of the kindergarten)

2. A desire for a two-way dialogue with experts using approaches and language appropriate to the context of child-care (Expectations from a consultation)

3. More clarification regarding practical discrepancies (Quest for mutual co-operation)

4. The frequency of consultation visits, etc. (Implications for the current approach to consultation

Keywords: Consultation,  Kindergarten,  Qualitative analysis,  Management

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Maki Eto.  An Analysis of Preschool Teachers’ Narratives concerning their Relationships with Parents : Focusing on Varying Understandings and Differences in Teaching Experience.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 194-205.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the differences found in relationships with parents between experienced teachers and novice teachers. This is achieved by analyzing how teachers talk about parents. Fourteen teachers from private kindergarten were divided into two groups: those with more than eight years and those with less than eight years of teaching experience. Their perceptions of parents’ concerns were compared. A data analysis was performed using M-GTA (Kinoshita, 2007). It showed that preschool teachers’ years of experience affect how they talk about parents, and it was also clear that their understanding of parents changed. However, this analysis also includes the experiences of preschool teachers themselves as parents, so the approach from the par- ents’ side needs greater future examination in terms of relationship building.

Keywords: Preschool teacher,  Parents,  Relationships,  Years of teaching experience,  Understandings

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Tomoko Miyamoto and Haruyo Hujisaki.  Longitudinal Study of Fathers’ Narrations after Participating in Childcare Activities : The Expansion of Fathers’ Horizons Brought about by Participating in their Children’s Lives in the Nursery.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 206-217.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the narrations of fathers during a group meeting held after they had participated in childcare activities. This was done in order to learn how fathers think about child-rearing. The fa- thers, who have child attending the nursery, participate in childcare activities every year, after which they attend a group meeting. By analyzing the narrations of a total of 80 fathers who participated in the childcare activities from year 20XX to 20XX+3, the following words/subjects were found in the fathers’ narrations of their experi- ences: <children>, <nursery>, <oneself>, <wife>. Additionally, their narrations differ based upon the age at which their child entered the nursery and the number of years they themselves have participated in the childcare activi- ties.

Keywords: nursery,  participate in childcare activity,  fathers’ narrations,  longitudinal study

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Ayumi Ohno.  Trends in Early Childhood Education Visible in Sweden’s Care Reform : With a Focus on the Relationship Between the ECEC System and the Welfare State.

Research on Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan, 2015, 53(2), 220-235.

This research focuses on Sweden’s early childhood education and care reform. In particular it concentrates on the period between 1972 and 2011, i.e. from the unification of nursery school and kindergarten education until the revision of the national preschool education curriculum. Trends during this period are analyzed from the point of view of the relationship between the ECEC system and the welfare state. It is suggested that since the 1930s, Sweden, as a welfare state, has pushed forward a policy aimed at guaranteeing the public availability of high quality, democratic early childhood education and care. During the years that intervened, early childhood issues shifted from parenting support to school education in policy. During this period, the meaning of early childhood care changed from being a social welfare system aimed at population growth to being a new education system. This new education system seeks to create human capital which is considered the foundation of the wel- fare state.

Keywords: Early Childhood Education and Care Reform,  Sweden,  Trends,  ECEC System,  Welfare State

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