原著論文
子どもの自立性に関わる遊びと自然体験
－自立性の規定要因の統計的因果モデル－
2007 年 5 巻 2 号 p. 37-44
詳細
2007 年 5 巻 2 号 p. 37-44
The aim of this study is to clarify the developmental process and relationship between a child's independence and experience with nature, or the parents’ experience with nature, which means non-urban environments. It is essential to develop a statistical model to explain how these factors are integrated. Although a child’s independence is not developed exclusively in response to these factors, this study can help to explain how and what factors are involved in developing independence. Therefore, the author tried to explain how and to what extent a child’s independence depends on experience with nature and play.
Both boy and girl students in the third and fifth grades of elementary school and their parents were selected as the pairs of subjects for a questionnaire. Data were collected with a four-point rating scale focusing on the following tasks to rate a child’s independent behaviors: 1）the child's experiences in the nature, 2）the parent's experiences in nature, 3）the child's play, and 4）the child’s independent behaviors.
When the first three sets of data above were factor-analyzed they revealed the three single dominant factors. However, as for the fourth set of data concerning the children’s independent behaviors, the same method of factor-analysis applied found 4 factors, “sociality,” “handling tools,” “alone behavior” and “cooperation.” The factor “cooperation” showed the highest effect on developing the children’s independence, but the explanation rate of the variation of the factor was only 20%.
The children’s experiences in nature, however, might play important roles on the development of their independence. Further study is needed to envision and develop a comprehensive strategy that should be designed to analyze the overall growth of children’s independence. This study was based on a subjective evaluation of children, but it would be better to add objective evaluations to this study. When it comes to children’s lifestyles in modern society, we have to consider that their experiences in nature or their play would be important on the development of independence. Therefore, we should expose children to those kinds of experiences as much as possible, and this should be the focal point for teachers, parents, and guardians of our children.
