Daycare and Elementary School Teachers’ Verbal Support Regarding Trouble Between Children: A Comparative Study with Undergraduate Students Using the Text Mining Method

This study aimed to explore characteristics of daycare and elementary school teachers’ verbal support to children in the context of peer trouble. A questionnaire survey was conducted among daycare teachers, which included kindergarten teachers and elementary school teachers, as well as undergraduate teaching students, who were mainly students studying to be elementary school teachers. They were requested to freely describe the verbal support they used in situations of trouble among children, and an analysis was conducted using text mining. Results revealed that undergraduate teaching students tended to make suggestions and issue warnings, such as “you cannot hit” or “you cannot do that.” Many suggestions and warnings among the elementary school teachers were similar to those of the undergraduates; however, there were also questions such as “why” and “what did you want to do?” Conversely, although, similar to the elementary school teachers, the daycare teachers asked many questions, they offered relatively few suggestions and warnings as compared with the undergraduate teaching students and elementary school teachers. It was found that daycare teachers, elementary school teachers, and undergraduate teaching students all have their own characteristic expressions.本研究は日本パーソナリティ心理学会第21回大会において発表した内容を加筆・修正したものである。本研究はJSPS 科研費15K17263の助成を受けた

Loneliness and behavioral characteristics of relationally victimized young girl : A naturalistic observation in kindergarten

The purpose of this study is to investigate the behavioral characteristics of relationally victimized young children. Four and 5-year-old preschoolers (girl N=18) were observed relationally victim and loneliness in natural setting for one year. In study 1, the child (girl A) who were more relationally victimized and felt more loneliness, and the child (girl B) who were less relationally victimized and felt less loneliness were served as subjects and were examined their behavior characteristics. Result indicated that girl B did more approach to other child than girl B did. In study 2, the acts that girl A did to peer were examined by event sample. As a result withdrawal behaviors were observed in 3 episodes. This result suggested that girl A have anxious by relationally victimized

A Survey on Cooperation between Early Childhood Facilities and Elementary Schools regarding Children with Disabilities

This survey aimed to reveal the current conditions of cooperation between early childhood facilities and elementary schools regarding children with disabilities. A nationwide questionnaire was administered to 172 nursery schools (public), 242 nursery schools (private), 200 kindergartens (public), 481 kindergartens (private), and 592 elementary schools. Overall, for cooperation with elementary school for children with disabilities, the percentage of practice with kindergarten (public) was highest among early childhood facilities. In particular, for “Exchange activities between early childhood facilities and elementary schools” and “Introduction of approach curriculum,” the percentage of practice with kindergarten (public) was higher when compared with that in other early childhood facilities. The newly found information in this survey was that nursery schools (public) were most likely to take advantage of the “Individual education program.” The major problem was that nursery school and kindergarten teachers were willing to cooperate on early childhood education and care with elementary school teachers, but elementary school teachers answered that it was difficult to cooperate with many of the early childhood facilities. The ideal method for cooperation between early childhood facilities and elementary schools needs to be considered within each community.本研究は平成26年度文部科学省委託「幼児教育の改善・充実調査研究」（研究代表者：山崎 晃）及び平成25～27年度科学研究費・基盤研究（C）（研究課題番号：25381325，研究代表者：山崎 晃）の助成を受けて行われた研究成果の一部である

The Actual Conditions of creation and utilization of the Records of Children with Disabilities during the School Transition Period: A Survey of Early Childhood Facilities and Elementary Schools

The purpose of this study is to clarify the actual conditions of personal records such as “support files” and “transition support sheets” created by early childhood facilities (kindergartens and nursery schools) to provide transition support to children with disabilities. The study seeks to examine how these records are created by early childhood facilities and used by elementary schools. A nationwide questionnaire survey targeting public and private kindergartens, nursery schools, and elementary schools was carried out. The survey results show that about half of the early childhood facilities created these records and that the records were being effectively utilized by the elementary schools that received them. However, there were also differences based on the type of institution: for instance, the rate of record creation was high at public kindergartens and low at private kindergartens and nursery schools. In terms of record content, there is a possibility of a gap between the information recorded by early childhood facilities and that sought by elementary schools. Based on these actual conditions, this study identifies issues to be considered in the effective creation and utilization of records.本研究は平成28年度文科省委託「幼児期の教育内容等深化・充実調査研究」（調査研究課題：幼保小接続における学習機会の保障としての合理的配慮に関する研究，研究受託機関：名古屋市立大学）の助成を受けて行われた研究成果の一部である。なお，本稿の一部は日本教育心理学会第59回総会において発表した

Development of preschoolers' right and wrong judgments about aggression

The present study examined preschoolers' right and wrong judgments about provocative, retaliative, and punitive aggression. Fifty-three preschoolers (range 32 to 76 months) were presented with three picture stories in which the main character showed either provocative, retaliative, or punitive aggression. Following each story, the children were asked to judge (1) whether the aggression was right or wrong, (2) whether they would like to play with the main character, and (3) whether they would behave like the main character. The results were as follows: (1) Younger children (range 32 to 53 months) judged all types of aggression to be wrong. However, older children (range 55 to 76 months) allowed retaliative and punitive aggression, whereas they judged provocative aggression to be wrong. (2) Younger children reported that they would like to play with all of the main characters to the same extent. However, older children rejected to play with the main character who showed provocative aggression. (3) Children reported that they would show punitive aggression in some degree, but that they would never show provocative aggression. The results indicate that judgments of older children are based on the concepts of harm and retributive justice (i.e., they possess moral concepts that are independent of authority), whereas judgments of younger children tend to be oriented toward authority (e.g., aggression is wrong because it is punished by adults)

Discussions on Corporal Punishment for Young Children and Its Effect on Teachers <Original work paper>

This study examined whether exchanging opinions affected teachers’ beliefs regarding corporal punishment. Participants were nursery and kindergarten teachers (n=100) as well as elementary school teachers (n=116) who attended in-service teacher training courses. Their opinions on the idea that “young children should never be physically punished under any circumstances” were explored before and after the discussion. A text-mining analysis was conducted to scrutinize the reasoning behind their opinions. Results showed that there was significant increase in the number of teachers who supported corporal punishment following the discussion. They stated that such action could not be avoided in some circumstances and justified it by concluding that “corporal punishment by parents may be needed to teach children to value their own and others’ lives.” To eradicate corporal punishment, we may have to provide teachers with opportunities to consider alternative methods of cultivating morality and prudence in children

Preschoolers' prosocial judgments in situations in which other children are crying

本研究では,幼稚園の年中児及び年長児を対象として,場面想定法を用いた実験を行い,他児が泣いている場面を目撃したとき,幼児が,①泣いている他児を慰めるために向社会的判断を行うのか,②向社会的判断に際していかなる方略を生成するのか,③自ら生成した方略を実行することによって他児を慰めることができると肯定的に自己評価するのかを検討した.なお,幼児の向社会的判断及び自己評価に影響を及ぼす要因として,泣いている他児との親密性(高い,低い)を取り上げた.主要な結果を以下に記す.女児は,親密性の低い他児に対して向社会的判断を行わない傾向があった.男児は,女児に比して,泣いている他児を積極的に救助することで慰めようとする傾向があった.女児は,年中では,他児を直接慰めると回答することが多いのに対して,年長では,他児を教師のところに連れて行き,教師に慰めてもらうと回答することが多かった.自己評価に関して,年中男児のみが,全般的に肯定的な評価を下した.また,年長女児は,他児を教師のところに連れていくという方略を生成したときのみ,慰めることができると肯定的な評価を下した

Preschoolers' cognitions about justice of punitive aggression

The present study examined preschoolers' cognitions about justice of punitive aggression. In Study 1, 3- and 4-years-olds were presented with picture stories depicting either the character's punitive aggressive behavior or assertive behavior for correcting other's transgression. Following each story, participants were asked; (1) to judge whether each behavior was effective in correcting transgression or not; (2) to rate each behavior in terms of relative goodness. The results indicated that 3-years-olds justified punitive aggressive behavior to some degree regardless of effectiveness, while 4-years-olds justified punitive aggressive behavior only when it seemed effective. In Study 2, 4-years-olds discussed about justice of punitive aggression. The results indicated that participants who believe punitive aggression being effective justified it consistently, while most participants argued that justice of punitive aggression changed with situations. Preschoolers' cognitions about justice of punitive aggressive behavior would be strongly influenced by beliefs about effectiveness of punitive aggression

Effects of an aggressor's authority on preschoolers' judgments about aggressive behavior

The present study examined the effects of an aggressor's authority on preschoolers' judgments about aggressive behavior. Preschoolers (28 boys, 37 girls ; average age 57 months; age ranging from 33 to 82 months) were presented with six picture stories in which the main character (authoritative character: teacher, unauthoritative character : child) showed either provocative, retaliative, or punitive aggressive behavior. Following each story, the children were asked to judge whether the aggressive behavior was right or wrong. The results were as follows: (1) Children in younger group (age ranging from 33 to 47 months) judged all types of aggression to be wrong ; however, those in middle (age ranging from 48 to 59 months) and older (age ranging from 60 to 82 months) groups allowed retaliative and punitive aggression but judged provocative aggression to be wrong. (2) Regardless of type, teachers' aggressions were more allowed than children's aggressions by every age. The results indicate that although judgments of the children in middle and older groups are based on the concepts of harm and justice, these judgments are affected by the aggressor's authority

Third-party behavior in interpersonal conflict situations in preschool children

本研究は,幼児の対人葛藤場面における第三者の行動の実際を明らかにすることを目的とした.4歳児クラスの幼児35名を対象として,自由遊び場面における観察を行った.本研究の結果から以下のことが明らかになった.第1に,多くの幼児が存在する遊び場面における対人葛藤では,第三者による行動が約4割(43.6%)の割合で出現した.第2に,4歳児においては,対人葛藤に対する中立型の介入行動はそれほど多くは見られず,加勢型の介入行動が多かった.第3に,中立型の介入行動は,第三者が対人葛藤の当事者と遊び集団外の関係にあるときになされることが多かった.加勢型の介入行動は,遊び集団内の関係にある当事者に対してなされることが多かった.第4に,中立型の介入行動は,保育者の存在あるいは援助があった場合には協調的な解決を促すものであった.加勢型の介入行動は,それを受けた当事者が対人葛藤の勝者となる可能性を高めるものであった.第5に,対人葛藤とそれに対する第三者の行動は,男児,女児それぞれの仲間関係や遊び集団のあり方の影響を受けていた