본 연구는 미국 중서부 지역의 한 사립학교에서 이루어진 6주간의 드라마 프로그램에서 드라마 특별교사와 담임교사가 초등학교 일학년 학생들에게 가르치는 통합 드라마 교육과정을 살... more 본 연구는 미국 중서부 지역의 한 사립학교에서 이루어진 6주간의 드라마 프로그램에서 드라마 특별교사와 담임교사가 초등학교 일학년 학생들에게 가르치는 통합 드라마 교육과정을 살펴보았다. 구체적으로, 드라마가 수학과 어떻게 통합되는지, 드라마의 어떤 지식과 내용이 가르쳐지는지, 또한 드라마가 통합 프로그램에서 어떠한 역할을 수행하는지를 질적 사례 연구를 통해 살펴보았다. 드라마 수업 동안, 아동들은 신체운동 탐색과 표상, 이야기의 재구성, 공연하기를 통해 드라마에서의 기본 지식과 기술들을 배웠으며 수학 학습을 강화하였다. 자신들의 신체를 이용하여 수학 내용에 대해 비언어적으로 표현하는 경험을 다양한 방법으로 체험하였으며, 수학 문제가 포함된 이야기를 토론을 통해 재구성하였다. 이렇게 재구성한 이야기를 공연하는 동안 아동들은 드라마에 관한 기초 지식과 기술들을 적용시켰으며, 상상력을 이용해 자신의 아이디어를 정교화 하였다. 결론에서는 연구 결과에 기초하여 성공적인 통합교육과정에 필요한 요소들이 논의되었다.
A name is the starting point to acknowledge the existence of ourselves and others in our lives. H... more A name is the starting point to acknowledge the existence of ourselves and others in our lives. However, we live in a society where name-based biases and discrimination have permeated. As transnational parent researchers, we examined our children’s names and naming practices through the practice of Suda [수다], which is an open-ended nonhierarchical conversational environment and deep/emotional storytelling, drawing on our own onto-epistemological stances. We intend to uncover implicit and hidden racial discourses against Asian/Asian American children’s names and naming practices through our children’s names and naming practices. The data reveal that our children’s names embrace our cultural beliefs, faiths, the wishes of parents, and family histories while being entangled with discrimination and racial discourses. Our children were also actively negotiating and (re)constructing their self-representation by having more than one name. This study provides implications regarding racially minoritized children’s names and naming practices in school and future research.
In spite of the great emphasis on learning academic subjects even during the early years, the imp... more In spite of the great emphasis on learning academic subjects even during the early years, the importance of art activities should not be overlooked since these kinds of activities benefit young children's development in a variety of ways, including cognitive, creative, social, and emotional development (Belz, 2011). Children can count, sort, and classify objects, identify how properties change and discover examples of cause and effect, make their own decisions, and order their behavior to accomplish a goal (Koster, 2012), which can promote cognitive development. They learn about the names of colors, different textures, and spatial relationships. Furthermore, arts become a great communicative tool for young children who often have a hard time verbalizing their ideas and feelings. Therefore, art enables children to express themselves using various media, affirming their freedom of expression (Wallace, 2015).
International Journal of Education Through Art, Sep 1, 2018
Implementing an art-appreciation programme enabled a group of 5- and 6-year-old children to explo... more Implementing an art-appreciation programme enabled a group of 5- and 6-year-old children to explore artists and their artworks and to understand artistic/aesthetic elements through a systematic sequence investigation. This study examines the impact of a sixteen-week art programme based on a visual literacy theory focusing on children’s art appreciation and critical thinking in Korea. Using mixed methods, data were collected through measurement of children’s appreciation and critical thinking ability, interviews with teacher and class observations. Quantitative analysis demonstrated significant effects of the art intervention programme on children’s abilities to appreciate art and artists and think critically about them. Three qualitative themes emerged: (1) deepening understanding of art, (2) experimenting with art, and (3) expressing themselves through art. Suggestions and implications for curriculum and research are provided.
Abstract Research Findings: This qualitative case study examines Korean kindergartners’ literary ... more Abstract Research Findings: This qualitative case study examines Korean kindergartners’ literary discussions about racial/cultural diversity during a whole-group read-aloud. Using multiple sources of data, including observations, open-ended interviews, and written materials and children’s artifacts, this study found that (a) the children exhibited a biased attitude toward African characters, and their stereotypical views reflected their allegiance to their social/cultural contexts; (b) literary discussions about race provided the children with valuable opportunities to explore racial diversity, equality, injustice, and freedom; and (c) reading multicultural literature helped the children develop and practice their racial language and literacy skills. Practice or Policy: The findings of the study add several important contributions related to teaching young children multicultural literature. Reading literature should be used to provide a chance to explore real-life problems and critically analyze all of the differences children encounter on a daily basis. Teachers should encourage young children to freely share their views about diverse social issues by creating a space where children feel secure in exchanging different views. In order to create a more supportive literacy surrounding, teachers should understand how profoundly children’s social and cultural environments affect their reading practices.
The present study examines kindergarteners' understanding of the base-ten number system through f... more The present study examines kindergarteners' understanding of the base-ten number system through formal and informal instructions in the United States and South Korea. A total of 69 kindergarteners (30 in the U.S. and 39 in Korea) and their head teachers participated in this study over the course of one semester. Experimental groups in both countries were provided with various formal and informal instructions, whereas control groups were not. The math activities for formal instruction and concrete materials for informal instruction, which were designed to support Korean children's development of base-ten understanding, were provided to the experimental groups in the U.S. and Korea for one semester. Pre-tests and post-tests were conducted with all participating children at the beginning and at the end of the semester to examine changes in the children's understanding of base-ten notation over time. The findings indicate no differences in terms of children's performance on base-ten tasks during the pre-test between the experimental and the control groups in each country. Comparison between the countries showed that Korean children exhibited better understanding of base-ten notation than their peers in the U.S. even before any math instruction was provided. During the post-test, children in the experimental groups in both countries showed Correspondence and requests for reprints should be sent to Young
In spite of the increased attention that has been given to early critical literacy practices, the... more In spite of the increased attention that has been given to early critical literacy practices, there remains a limited amount of scholarship dedicated to exploring how critical literacy may be implemented in early childhood classrooms to prevent bullying. As such, the purpose of this article is to examine the pedagogical potential of early critical literacy with bullying-themes, for educating young children on anti-bullying. Using a qualitative study approach, this study was conducted in a classroom of twenty 5-year-old children in a metropolitan city in South Korea. The central focus of this study was dedicated to examining how children’s understanding of bullying toward their peers of different racial/ethnic backgrounds and special needs change through a series of critical literacy activities, including reading, discussion, and follow-up role-playing and writing activities. Findings suggest that critical literacy activities on bullying have the potential to aid in creating anti-bul...
This article examines young children’s role-play in an effort to develop methods with which teach... more This article examines young children’s role-play in an effort to develop methods with which teachers can enhance children’s interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. Examining how MI practice is applied in different cultural and social contexts is important because it can provide new insights on enriching and enhancing curricula and instructional methods to early childhood educators and practitioners all over the world. This research was conducted in South Korea at a university laboratory school where a curriculum based on the Multiple Intelligences theory was employed. In order to examine how role-playing was implemented and what aspects of social and emotional competences were promoted, this research using a qualitative research method focused on a pod class designed to enhance personal intelligences. The pod class was composed of nine, three to five year-old children who were identified as having strengths in interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. Close examination o...
ABSTRACT This self-study explores the experiences and challenges that we as mothers of young chil... more ABSTRACT This self-study explores the experiences and challenges that we as mothers of young children and teacher educators have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. While describing what our children experienced through remote learning and how we tried to support their learning, we reflect on their former school experiences and our teacher education practices. To do this, we address the following two research questions: (1) What were our children’s experiences in remote learning during the pandemic?; and (2) What were our experiences as mothers and teacher educators in supporting our children’s remote learning during the pandemic? Adopting a collaborative self-study methodology, we collected stories of our experiences as mothers and teacher educators during our children’s remote learning. Our data were collected through participant observations, field notes, and artifacts that our children created, as well as learning materials received from their teachers and schools during the period. In addition, we recorded virtual conferences and wrote reflective journals. The suda approach, which was developed as a research method by the authors was used for data analysis. Originally from Korean culture, suda in simple English is ‘chatting extensively.’ It is different from small talk or chit-chat, though, as it can take a large amount of time, covering several stories in depth. The findings provide several implications for teacher education, school policy, and educational research.
Children's participation in yoga activities is receiving increasingly widespread attention as... more Children's participation in yoga activities is receiving increasingly widespread attention as an exercise system that promotes not only physical health benefits but also psychological well-being. The authors of this article introduce how yoga practices can be implemented in an early childhood classroom to enhance children's mind and body harmony, develop their kinesthetic awareness, and provide opportunities for regular exercise. A school-based yoga project such as the one described here can increase children's knowledge of health, while helping them develop skills of balance and control and promoting imagination and collaboration between peers.
International Journal of Early Years Education, 2014
This research examines specific areas of confidence and concern as expressed by 40 American under... more This research examines specific areas of confidence and concern as expressed by 40 American undergraduate early childhood students on a practicum (supervised field-based internships); if their beliefs changed over the course of their practicum, and if prior teaching experience had an impact on their confidence levels. Areas of confidence and concern were determined through questionnaires, reflections and interviews at three points in time during the semester. Findings indicate that students were more confident when arranging the physical environment and least confident in managing children's behaviour. Significant changes in understanding and interaction with children, planning and implementing activities and overall confidence were observed over time periods. Experienced students initially showed and maintained higher confidence levels than inexperienced students who were much less confident at the start of the practicum, but improved significantly. Interestingly, by the end of the semester, this latter group was as confident as more experienced students. Here the factors that affected confidence, the factors that boosted student confidence at different time periods and differences in confidence among students based on prior experience are discussed.
The purpose of the present study is to investigate how contemporary Korea and its culture are por... more The purpose of the present study is to investigate how contemporary Korea and its culture are portrayed in children’s picture books published in the United States. Our analysis of the representation of Korean culture in text and illustrations was based on a sample of 33 picture books written in English and published in the US between 1990 and 2012. The findings revealed that (1) the nation of Korea was usually described with short sentences focusing on the country’s foreignness and with outdated content and illustrations; (2) Koreans and their culture were primarily presented at the surface level and differences were highlighted by being contrasted with western culture; (3) traditional aspects of Korean culture and the admixing of Korean culture with other Asian cultures were often ascribed to contemporary Korean culture; and (4) books that covered topics on immigration and acculturation commonly included identity-related conflicts the characters faced, in the dichotomous context of keeping one’s original culture or conforming to the new culture. Based on these findings, there is a pressing need for authors and illustrators of children’s books, when introducing a foreign culture, to depict realistic stories and illustrations that reflect current ideology, customs, and everyday life. In order to create high-quality and authentic multicultural literature, it is vitally important to incorporate a deeper understanding of cultural values and diverse viewpoints that are developmentally appropriate for young readers.
본 연구는 미국 중서부 지역의 한 사립학교에서 이루어진 6주간의 드라마 프로그램에서 드라마 특별교사와 담임교사가 초등학교 일학년 학생들에게 가르치는 통합 드라마 교육과정을 살... more 본 연구는 미국 중서부 지역의 한 사립학교에서 이루어진 6주간의 드라마 프로그램에서 드라마 특별교사와 담임교사가 초등학교 일학년 학생들에게 가르치는 통합 드라마 교육과정을 살펴보았다. 구체적으로, 드라마가 수학과 어떻게 통합되는지, 드라마의 어떤 지식과 내용이 가르쳐지는지, 또한 드라마가 통합 프로그램에서 어떠한 역할을 수행하는지를 질적 사례 연구를 통해 살펴보았다. 드라마 수업 동안, 아동들은 신체운동 탐색과 표상, 이야기의 재구성, 공연하기를 통해 드라마에서의 기본 지식과 기술들을 배웠으며 수학 학습을 강화하였다. 자신들의 신체를 이용하여 수학 내용에 대해 비언어적으로 표현하는 경험을 다양한 방법으로 체험하였으며, 수학 문제가 포함된 이야기를 토론을 통해 재구성하였다. 이렇게 재구성한 이야기를 공연하는 동안 아동들은 드라마에 관한 기초 지식과 기술들을 적용시켰으며, 상상력을 이용해 자신의 아이디어를 정교화 하였다. 결론에서는 연구 결과에 기초하여 성공적인 통합교육과정에 필요한 요소들이 논의되었다.
A name is the starting point to acknowledge the existence of ourselves and others in our lives. H... more A name is the starting point to acknowledge the existence of ourselves and others in our lives. However, we live in a society where name-based biases and discrimination have permeated. As transnational parent researchers, we examined our children’s names and naming practices through the practice of Suda [수다], which is an open-ended nonhierarchical conversational environment and deep/emotional storytelling, drawing on our own onto-epistemological stances. We intend to uncover implicit and hidden racial discourses against Asian/Asian American children’s names and naming practices through our children’s names and naming practices. The data reveal that our children’s names embrace our cultural beliefs, faiths, the wishes of parents, and family histories while being entangled with discrimination and racial discourses. Our children were also actively negotiating and (re)constructing their self-representation by having more than one name. This study provides implications regarding racially minoritized children’s names and naming practices in school and future research.
In spite of the great emphasis on learning academic subjects even during the early years, the imp... more In spite of the great emphasis on learning academic subjects even during the early years, the importance of art activities should not be overlooked since these kinds of activities benefit young children's development in a variety of ways, including cognitive, creative, social, and emotional development (Belz, 2011). Children can count, sort, and classify objects, identify how properties change and discover examples of cause and effect, make their own decisions, and order their behavior to accomplish a goal (Koster, 2012), which can promote cognitive development. They learn about the names of colors, different textures, and spatial relationships. Furthermore, arts become a great communicative tool for young children who often have a hard time verbalizing their ideas and feelings. Therefore, art enables children to express themselves using various media, affirming their freedom of expression (Wallace, 2015).
International Journal of Education Through Art, Sep 1, 2018
Implementing an art-appreciation programme enabled a group of 5- and 6-year-old children to explo... more Implementing an art-appreciation programme enabled a group of 5- and 6-year-old children to explore artists and their artworks and to understand artistic/aesthetic elements through a systematic sequence investigation. This study examines the impact of a sixteen-week art programme based on a visual literacy theory focusing on children’s art appreciation and critical thinking in Korea. Using mixed methods, data were collected through measurement of children’s appreciation and critical thinking ability, interviews with teacher and class observations. Quantitative analysis demonstrated significant effects of the art intervention programme on children’s abilities to appreciate art and artists and think critically about them. Three qualitative themes emerged: (1) deepening understanding of art, (2) experimenting with art, and (3) expressing themselves through art. Suggestions and implications for curriculum and research are provided.
Abstract Research Findings: This qualitative case study examines Korean kindergartners’ literary ... more Abstract Research Findings: This qualitative case study examines Korean kindergartners’ literary discussions about racial/cultural diversity during a whole-group read-aloud. Using multiple sources of data, including observations, open-ended interviews, and written materials and children’s artifacts, this study found that (a) the children exhibited a biased attitude toward African characters, and their stereotypical views reflected their allegiance to their social/cultural contexts; (b) literary discussions about race provided the children with valuable opportunities to explore racial diversity, equality, injustice, and freedom; and (c) reading multicultural literature helped the children develop and practice their racial language and literacy skills. Practice or Policy: The findings of the study add several important contributions related to teaching young children multicultural literature. Reading literature should be used to provide a chance to explore real-life problems and critically analyze all of the differences children encounter on a daily basis. Teachers should encourage young children to freely share their views about diverse social issues by creating a space where children feel secure in exchanging different views. In order to create a more supportive literacy surrounding, teachers should understand how profoundly children’s social and cultural environments affect their reading practices.
The present study examines kindergarteners' understanding of the base-ten number system through f... more The present study examines kindergarteners' understanding of the base-ten number system through formal and informal instructions in the United States and South Korea. A total of 69 kindergarteners (30 in the U.S. and 39 in Korea) and their head teachers participated in this study over the course of one semester. Experimental groups in both countries were provided with various formal and informal instructions, whereas control groups were not. The math activities for formal instruction and concrete materials for informal instruction, which were designed to support Korean children's development of base-ten understanding, were provided to the experimental groups in the U.S. and Korea for one semester. Pre-tests and post-tests were conducted with all participating children at the beginning and at the end of the semester to examine changes in the children's understanding of base-ten notation over time. The findings indicate no differences in terms of children's performance on base-ten tasks during the pre-test between the experimental and the control groups in each country. Comparison between the countries showed that Korean children exhibited better understanding of base-ten notation than their peers in the U.S. even before any math instruction was provided. During the post-test, children in the experimental groups in both countries showed Correspondence and requests for reprints should be sent to Young
In spite of the increased attention that has been given to early critical literacy practices, the... more In spite of the increased attention that has been given to early critical literacy practices, there remains a limited amount of scholarship dedicated to exploring how critical literacy may be implemented in early childhood classrooms to prevent bullying. As such, the purpose of this article is to examine the pedagogical potential of early critical literacy with bullying-themes, for educating young children on anti-bullying. Using a qualitative study approach, this study was conducted in a classroom of twenty 5-year-old children in a metropolitan city in South Korea. The central focus of this study was dedicated to examining how children’s understanding of bullying toward their peers of different racial/ethnic backgrounds and special needs change through a series of critical literacy activities, including reading, discussion, and follow-up role-playing and writing activities. Findings suggest that critical literacy activities on bullying have the potential to aid in creating anti-bul...
This article examines young children’s role-play in an effort to develop methods with which teach... more This article examines young children’s role-play in an effort to develop methods with which teachers can enhance children’s interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. Examining how MI practice is applied in different cultural and social contexts is important because it can provide new insights on enriching and enhancing curricula and instructional methods to early childhood educators and practitioners all over the world. This research was conducted in South Korea at a university laboratory school where a curriculum based on the Multiple Intelligences theory was employed. In order to examine how role-playing was implemented and what aspects of social and emotional competences were promoted, this research using a qualitative research method focused on a pod class designed to enhance personal intelligences. The pod class was composed of nine, three to five year-old children who were identified as having strengths in interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. Close examination o...
ABSTRACT This self-study explores the experiences and challenges that we as mothers of young chil... more ABSTRACT This self-study explores the experiences and challenges that we as mothers of young children and teacher educators have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. While describing what our children experienced through remote learning and how we tried to support their learning, we reflect on their former school experiences and our teacher education practices. To do this, we address the following two research questions: (1) What were our children’s experiences in remote learning during the pandemic?; and (2) What were our experiences as mothers and teacher educators in supporting our children’s remote learning during the pandemic? Adopting a collaborative self-study methodology, we collected stories of our experiences as mothers and teacher educators during our children’s remote learning. Our data were collected through participant observations, field notes, and artifacts that our children created, as well as learning materials received from their teachers and schools during the period. In addition, we recorded virtual conferences and wrote reflective journals. The suda approach, which was developed as a research method by the authors was used for data analysis. Originally from Korean culture, suda in simple English is ‘chatting extensively.’ It is different from small talk or chit-chat, though, as it can take a large amount of time, covering several stories in depth. The findings provide several implications for teacher education, school policy, and educational research.
Children's participation in yoga activities is receiving increasingly widespread attention as... more Children's participation in yoga activities is receiving increasingly widespread attention as an exercise system that promotes not only physical health benefits but also psychological well-being. The authors of this article introduce how yoga practices can be implemented in an early childhood classroom to enhance children's mind and body harmony, develop their kinesthetic awareness, and provide opportunities for regular exercise. A school-based yoga project such as the one described here can increase children's knowledge of health, while helping them develop skills of balance and control and promoting imagination and collaboration between peers.
International Journal of Early Years Education, 2014
This research examines specific areas of confidence and concern as expressed by 40 American under... more This research examines specific areas of confidence and concern as expressed by 40 American undergraduate early childhood students on a practicum (supervised field-based internships); if their beliefs changed over the course of their practicum, and if prior teaching experience had an impact on their confidence levels. Areas of confidence and concern were determined through questionnaires, reflections and interviews at three points in time during the semester. Findings indicate that students were more confident when arranging the physical environment and least confident in managing children's behaviour. Significant changes in understanding and interaction with children, planning and implementing activities and overall confidence were observed over time periods. Experienced students initially showed and maintained higher confidence levels than inexperienced students who were much less confident at the start of the practicum, but improved significantly. Interestingly, by the end of the semester, this latter group was as confident as more experienced students. Here the factors that affected confidence, the factors that boosted student confidence at different time periods and differences in confidence among students based on prior experience are discussed.
The purpose of the present study is to investigate how contemporary Korea and its culture are por... more The purpose of the present study is to investigate how contemporary Korea and its culture are portrayed in children’s picture books published in the United States. Our analysis of the representation of Korean culture in text and illustrations was based on a sample of 33 picture books written in English and published in the US between 1990 and 2012. The findings revealed that (1) the nation of Korea was usually described with short sentences focusing on the country’s foreignness and with outdated content and illustrations; (2) Koreans and their culture were primarily presented at the surface level and differences were highlighted by being contrasted with western culture; (3) traditional aspects of Korean culture and the admixing of Korean culture with other Asian cultures were often ascribed to contemporary Korean culture; and (4) books that covered topics on immigration and acculturation commonly included identity-related conflicts the characters faced, in the dichotomous context of keeping one’s original culture or conforming to the new culture. Based on these findings, there is a pressing need for authors and illustrators of children’s books, when introducing a foreign culture, to depict realistic stories and illustrations that reflect current ideology, customs, and everyday life. In order to create high-quality and authentic multicultural literature, it is vitally important to incorporate a deeper understanding of cultural values and diverse viewpoints that are developmentally appropriate for young readers.
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Papers by Su-Jeong Wee