The Development of “The Case Method with Visual Scene Simulation” to Support and Evaluate the Kindergarten Trainees' Understanding of Children

Abstract

  This research aimed at developing “the case method with visual scene simulation”, a simulative method to encourage trainees of kindergarten teaching to understand children, and at examining this method as a means to evaluate effects of their pre-service education.

  The results are as follows :

1) The use of this “case method with visual scene simulation” in advance of the pre-service education, a method with the introductory pictures of various situations at kindergarten as well as the explanatory words, enables the trainees to experience the simulation, to consider possible problems and measures and to prepare for their real experience.

2) The stimulative experience beforehand encourages the trainees to be composedly engaged in their pre-service education and to observe important points and problems of their training clearly.

3) The continual application of this “case method with visual scene simulation” to the trainees for two successive years proves some development of their relationship with children : while at first they try “to be engaged with children considering each child's character important,” they gradually tend “to be involved with children as a whole group” rather than as individuals in the several group educational situations.