For the first purpose of this study, we gave a questionnaire to ECEC (Early childhood education and care) teachers , to clarify the current state of child care support activities in the training stage. For the second purpose, we enquired how their training experience helped them with regard to child care support in the workplace today.
The research, aimed at ECEC teachers who work in kindergartens and nursery schools, both public and private in the Kanto region, was conducted between late June and August 2012. We obtained valid responses from 328 people.
It turned out that about 40% of the ECEC teachers had some experience of child care support activities during their training stage. In addition, in general feedback, it was discovered that child care support creates a relationship with parents and that the trainees know the problems the parents have in connection with their children as a result of the experience the trainees have gained in the training stage.
