Verification of the Improvement Effects of the Art Exhibition in a Kindergarten

—Focusing on the Transformation of Awareness among a Childcare-Teacher and Parents—

Abstract

This research aimed to propose improvements for the issues of the art exhibition at S kindergarten to examine the effectiveness by analyzing the transformation of awareness among a childcare-teacher and parents before and after the improvements, which were (1) repositioning the role of the exhibition as a “field” for childcare, (2) alleviating guilt regarding activities centered around creating artworks, (3) addressing parental doubts and anxieties regarding the evaluations, and (4) reducing the burden on childcare-teachers. The research methodology involved conducting interviews with childcare-teacher A in Survey 1 and analyzing the responses using text mining. In Survey 2, descriptive questionnaires were administered to parents who participated in the art exhibition, and the responses were analyzed. As a result, after the improvements, the art exhibition was integrated into daily childcare, leading to an expansion of children’s freedom in artistic activities. The burden on both childcare-teachers and young children decreased, and parents also showed acceptance of the changes in the art exhibition. Consequently, it is considered that there were positive effects of the improvements in the art exhibition.