The purpose of this study was to develop a children’s literature activity program using Postmodern picturebooks and to explore young children’s responses to that program in the context of early childhood classroom. In order to achieve these objectives, this study set up the following research questions.
1. Develop a children’s literature activity program using Postmodern picturebooks.
2. Apply the program to early childhood education classrooms, and examine how the children respond and change.
2-1. Explore the responses from the participants.
2-2. Examine the effects of the program on children’s comprehension, thinking ability and creativity.
How these processes were conducted can be summarized as follows:
First, the program was developed through literature review, a field survey and draft lesson plans. In more detail, a literature review was made on local and foreign research or publications related to picturebooks, determining expectations from the use of those picturebooks and finding that there have been needs for systems or programs to use postmodern media. A field survey was conducted at D and K preschools located in P city in order to examine how postmodern picturebooks are used in the field of early childhood education, how early childhood teachers perceive those picturebooks and the level of need for postmodern picturebooks. This survey found that there is considerable use of traditional picturebooks and less understanding of the characteristics of postmodern picturebooks. In addition, there is general agreement on the need for unique media like postmodern picturebooks. The results of the literature review and field survey affirmed that a children’s literature activity program using postmodern picturebooks was necessary. Consequently, this study developed the 1st draft lesson plans that included the purpose, objectives, educational contents, teaching-learning methods and assessment methods of that program. In the 1st draft development, 46 postmodern picturebooks were chosen through consultation and discussion with early childhood educators. 12 of these postmodern picturebooks were finally selected to be used in the program. Through consultation and discussion with a specialist in early childhood education, the second version of lesson plans were developed. This researcher consulted with 6 early childhood teachers of D private preschool in order to assess the validity of the second draft in terms of composition and contents. Based on the assessment, that draft was modified and supplemented into a third draft. This study then applied the third draft to D private preschool in order to confirm its feasibility, appropriateness and validity in the field of early childhood education. This draft yielded favorable responses from early childhood teachers. Next, the third draft was reviewed by a specialist in early childhood education, and found to be reliable and valid. This was the final draft of the Children’s Literature activity program using Postmodern picturebooks.
Second, this study applied the children’s literature activity program using Postmodern picturebooks to five-year-olds at A public kindergarten classroom, B private kindergarten classroom and C day-care center from March 1st to July 31st, 2015. In each of the three classrooms, 24 sessions of the program were provided on the basis of 2 a week. In total, this study implemented total 72 of the program. The 24 sessions were based on 2 sessions per each of 12 postmodern picturebooks finally selected for the study. In each session, the program proceeded through four stages: motivation, exploration and understanding, expression and assessment. Motivation was to make children interested in or curious about the Postmodern picturebooks by using narratives. Exploration and understanding was to make children interact with their teachers while reading Postmodern picturebooks. Expression was to make children create works in which postmodern characteristics were reflected. Assessment was to listen to children’s feelings or opinions about their experiences participating in the program. In addition to these stages, the program added the stage of expansion that allowed additional activities reflecting Postmodern characteristics. In each session, this researcher gathered advice and exchanged ideas with teachers in order to make the program proceed smoothly. From each session of the program, recorded observations of children’s responses and the works created were collected. After each session finished, this researcher conducted interviews with teachers to share feelings, thoughts and opinions about their experience with the program. In addition, a researcher journal and a teacher’s journal were collected to reflect on how the program proceeded.
Third, this study obtained qualitative and quantitative results from the application of the program to five-year-olds in the context of the early childhood education. The qualitative data were obtained through the observations of the responses from the children, the works created by the children, this researcher’s journals, teachers’ journals, individual interviews and group interviews of teachers. Those data could be largely categorized into five categories: encounter, indulgence and passion, active readers, expansion and creation, and changes and growth. To obtain quantitative results, this study calculated mean and standard deviation from the pre- and post-tests that were conducted before and after the application of the program. The qualitative data determined the effects of that program on children’s comprehension ability, thinking ability and creativity, using F-values of the analyses of covariance in accordance with the SPSS 21.0 Program. The quantitative data showed that the children of the experimental group had improved significantly in areas of comprehension, thinking ability and creativity in comparison to those of the control group. Based on all of the qualitative and quantitative results, this study reached the conclusion that the children’s literature activity program using Postmodern picturebooks is an effective method to improve young children''s multiple literacy in the field of early childhood education.