The Meaning of a Play-based Approach Curriculum for Transition to School : An Analysis of the Practice of “Gakko gokko” at a Childcare Center

The purpose of this study is to theoretically and practically examine the possibility of play in terms of preparation for school. Transition to school is a key theme in ECE. While play remains important in ECE, it has never been studied in terms of transition to school. It has been argued that play as approach curriculum is in opposition to learning which is the dominant activity in school. We have applied Vygotsky’s theories to practice with an examination of “gakko gokko” (“playing school”) at a childcare center. The early childhood teacher pretended to be a school teacher, and the children pretended to be school students. They played at studying school subjects such as, science and mathematics, and doing homework. During “gakko gokko”, children performed the role of school student, and the teacher’s role became more instructive than usual. Children’s emotional experiences reflected the activity and the setting.Analysis found that the children learned to use cultural tools and take expected action in specific settings through “gakko gokko”. Their behavior reflected a type of school habitus. “Gakko gokko” does not mean that children master language and number learning. “Gakko gokko” allows children to experience going to school through play, and possibly increasing motivation for transition to school.本研究はJSPS 科研費（24653231，50512555）の助成を受けたものである。また本研究の一部は，The 11th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education と2012年度日本発達心理学会国際ワークショップにおいて発表されたものである

Research of Child Care Support for Female Doctors in Hiroshima Prefecture : Types of child care support working mothers have had access to and what they think about them

In recent years, the number of female doctors passing the National Medical Practitioners Qualifying Examination has increased. Despite the introduction of various official child care support systems, many female doctors still resign after giving birth. In this study, we interviewed 9 female doctors in Hiroshima Prefecture and analyzed the types of child care support they have had access to and what they think about them. We found female doctors face three primary obstacles in continuing their medical careers after motherhood. The child care support systems fail to provide adequate support 1) when the child is sick or in cases of emergency, 2) when the child enrolls in elementary school, and 3) with consideration for each doctor’s career plan. We suggest university medical courses include instruction on the child care support systems not only for female students but also for male students as well. Finally we argue child care support systems should be regarded as a whole hospital initiative

The Process of a Child’s Play from Start to Finish: A Case of a Boy who Finds Amusement in his Own Play

The purpose of this study was to explore a child’s play process from start to finish as it led to making choices for further play. The target child was a four-year-old boy in kindergarten. We video recorded and took field notes about him during a session in which he was first playing with a top while chatting with other children and his teacher in the main play room. He then switched to jump-roping, which he seemed to enjoy doing by himself. We analyzed the data qualitatively using the Trajectory Equifinality Model(TEM). This model follows the time series in analysis. The results indicated that the recorded process could be broken down into three parts :1) the boy played with only tops during the “exploring stage” ; 2) the boy played with tops while also showing interest in jump-roping in the “mixed play stage” ; 3）the boy decided to end his play with the tops and switch to jump-roping, in the stage we call the “self-directed stage”. We also analyzed the boy’s influence on his own play process, including third stage, in which he seemed to find amusement in his own play.本研究は，2014年度後期「幼児教育学総合研究」（授業担当者：中坪史典准教授）にて収集・分析したデータに加筆したものである。また，本研究の成果の一部は，日本乳幼児教育学会第26回大会で発表した

Construction of Childcare Support Program for two-children families: From Cooperation with Higashi-Hiroshima City Childcare Support Centers

The purpose of this study was to construct a childcare support program for the families who have two children to bring up. With the assistance of Higashi-Hiroshima city and childcare support centers, members from early childhood education research facility in Hiroshima University built up the program. In this program, it is demanded that the supporters draft the program while being conscious of four times, specifically approach-time, core-time, free-time and feedback-time. And this program also has four main components including topics, leaflet, picture books and reflection sheets. According to the practice, supporters can not only grow up with mothers and children by making use of their childcare specialty, but also can build a relationship of mutual trust with the participants. Besides, the support of the high quality is maintained by the collaboration of Higashi-Hiroshima city and childcare support centers and Hiroshima University.本研究は平成29年度「広島大学地域連携推進事業」に提案した「地域における虐待防止ペアレントトレーニングの効果検証－親が抱えるリスク要因の低減を目指して－」という研究の一環として，東広島市子ども家庭課の協力で実施したものである

Lack of impact of the ALDH2 rs671 variant on breast cancer development in Japanese BRCA1/2‐mutation carriers

The aldehyde degrading function of the ALDH2 enzyme is impaired by Glu504Lys polymorphisms (rs671, termed A allele), which causes alcohol flushing in east Asians, and elevates the risk of esophageal cancer among habitual drinkers. Recent studies suggested that the ALDH2 variant may lead to higher levels of DNA damage caused by endogenously generated aldehydes. This can be a threat to genome stability and/or cell viability in a synthetic manner in DNA repair-defective settings such as Fanconi anemia (FA). FA is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome caused by defects in any one of so far identified 22 FANC genes including hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. We have previously reported that the progression of FA phenotypes is accelerated with the ALDH2 rs671 genotype. Individuals with HBOC are heterozygously mutated in either BRCA1 or BRCA2, and the cancer-initiating cells in these patients usually undergo loss of the wild-type BRCA1/2 allele, leading to homologous recombination defects. Therefore, we hypothesized that the ALDH2 genotypes may impact breast cancer development in BRCA1/2 mutant carriers. We genotyped ALDH2 in 103 HBOC patients recruited from multiple cancer centers in Japan. However, we were not able to detect any significant differences in clinical stages, histopathological classification, or age at clinical diagnosis across the ALDH2 genotypes. Unlike the effects in hematopoietic cells of FA, our current data suggest that there is no impact of the loss of ALDH2 function in cancer initiation and development in breast epithelium of HBOC patients

エピソードを用いた継続的な保育カンファレンスの成果と課題 : 「 乳児保育における５つの力育み事業」参加園の自由記述の分析から

The purpose of this study was to identify the achievements and issues of ongoing childcare conferences conducted at four nursery schools participating in a childcare project implemented by the Hiroshima Prefecture. At the end of the two-year project, a free answer questionnaire was administered to and answered by 80 nursery teachers. The results of the analysis showed that the teachers’ understanding of the children increased, which led to improved environmental organization and more positive interactions with parents. Furthermore, the children played more freely. These achievements of the childcare project show that the conferences functioned effectively. Two elements of the childcare project were unique to it: first, the use of the five perspectives to understand children’s development sometimes limited the teachers’ understanding of the children. The other was setting aside time and space for conferences, which had the effect of creating an affable atmosphere among teachers, and to providing perspective on the next practice

The Process of a Child’s Play from Start to Finish: A Case of a Boy who Finds Amusement in his Own Play

The purpose of this study was to explore a child’s play process from start to finish as it led to making choices for further play. The target child was a four-year-old boy in kindergarten. We video recorded and took field notes about him during a session in which he was first playing with a top while chatting with other children and his teacher in the main play room. He then switched to jump-roping, which he seemed to enjoy doing by himself. We analyzed the data qualitatively using the Trajectory Equifinality Model(TEM). This model follows the time series in analysis. The results indicated that the recorded process could be broken down into three parts :1) the boy played with only tops during the “exploring stage” ; 2) the boy played with tops while also showing interest in jump-roping in the “mixed play stage” ; 3）the boy decided to end his play with the tops and switch to jump-roping, in the stage we call the “self-directed stage”. We also analyzed the boy’s influence on his own play process, including third stage, in which he seemed to find amusement in his own play.本研究は，2014年度後期「幼児教育学総合研究」（授業担当者：中坪史典准教授）にて収集・分析したデータに加筆したものである。また，本研究の成果の一部は，日本乳幼児教育学会第26回大会で発表した