유치원 실외놀이에서 신체활동게임에 참여하는 또래집단 탐구

Abstract

The objective of this research is to understand in-depth, the relationship formed between children of the peer group in the context of physical activity games played during outdoor playtime and to research the correlation between physical activity games and same-age groups. To understand and explain the specific and various characteristics that the children’s physical activity game groups possess, research questions were established as follows. First, how were the peer group that had participated in physical activity games formed? Second, how was the hierarchical structure of the peer group formed during physical activity games? Third, what is the force that moved the peer group during physical-activity-games? This research used the "Cultural Technique Research Method" to understand the meaning of the behaviors from the research subject’s perspective. Physical activity games of 5 years-olds children(13 boys, 18 girls)were observed and children, teachers and parents were interviewed from May to December of 2006 at "S"kindergarten, a private kindergarten in downtown Seoul. During the research period, observation data and interview data were collected 3 to 4 times a week (36 times in total). For data analysis, observation journals, interview records, and related documents were divided, organized, and categorized. This research resulted in the following conclusions about peer groups participating in physical activity games. 1. To play physical activity games, the children formed groups freely and individually. The process in which groups was formed differed by gender, while girls were passive about forming groups; boys were active in forming them. In a game in which two groups were to be formed, the process was deduced into forming teams on the basis of what the individuals wanted and desired, forming teams on the basis of outer appearance, and forming teams on the basis of equality. In addition, the factors, aside from grade-level, related to group formation were based on shared experiences, physical ability and popularity. 2. Members of a physical activity game group were divided into leaders(directorial leader, supportive leader, and a nominal leader) and followers(responsible follower, by-standing follower, uncontrollable follower). Hierarchy was successive in structure and the members influenced each other. Leaders usually possessed a higher degree of physical ability and communicative ability and also, had a more active and confident personality. Each of these leaders led the group by one of the three following ways: directing, supportive, and rules-setting. The followers acknowledged the authority of the leaders and obeyed the leader’s orders. However, the followers showed different reactions toward the different leadership styles. Toward a directing leader, the team members felt coerced and obeyed the leaders’ orders without question and toward a supportive leader; the team members were reliant and envied the leader’s intelligence and humor. In contrast, toward a rule-setting leader the members of the group were observed to have a contrasting attitude. When the game was running smoothly the members acknowledged the authority of a rule-setting leader by following the rules of the game, but when the game was interrupted with excessive violations of the rules, the team members were seen to neglect the rule-setting leader. 3. The factors that helped maintain or break-up the physical activity game groups were whether the participants shared in the enjoyment of the game, the authority of the leader, the degree of freedom from rules, and the size of the group. Specifically, when all the children, without a child being neglected, enjoyed and had the opportunity to participate in the physical activity games, the game continued and the groups were maintained. However, when a child persisted in being the leader out of selfishness or violated the rules of the game to get an advantage, the members of the group separated themselves from the group one-by-one and eventually, the group dissolved. The number of children that participated in the group, or the size of the group, also, influenced whether the group dissolved, as smaller groups were usually absorbed by bigger groups.