The Effects of Child Care Learning, Including Experience in Early Childhood Education and Care, on Junior High and Senior High School Students in Home Economics Classes

The Association between Changes in Their Interest in Children, Images of Children, Knowledge of Child Development, and Sympathetic Responsiveness

Abstract

This study aims to demonstrate what changes occurred amongst students after they had participated in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in home economics classes. A questionnaire was issued to454 subjects (187 junior high and 267 senior high school students) to compare the following scores before and after child development education classes including ECEC. The scores of the “interest in children”, the “images of children”, the “knowledge of child development” and the “sympathetic responsiveness to children” increased. There was a substantial increase in the “sympathetic responsiveness to young children”score, which was associated with an increase in the three other areas.This association indicates that it is important for the students to have an adequate level of competence in understanding and responding to children’s demands and emotional expression. Junior high school boys had the lowest score among the four student groups, but a significant increase was observed in the “interest in children” score-the door to child development education--as well as “knowledge of child development”, suggesting child development education provided in home economics education is effective for all students.