2022 年 17 巻 p. 17-30
This paper focuses on the educational content and its characteristics in the training of
kindergarten teachers in Fujian and Jiangsu Provinces of China, which were advanced regions
for Christian missionary work in the early 20th century.
First, the paper considers the educational background of Christian women missionaries prior to
their arrival in China, and clarifies the specialization of skills of them. Second, the paper clarifies
the specific training education that took place in each of the Christian kindergarten teacher
training institutions in China at the beginning of the 20th century. In particular, this paper
examines the characteristics of educational content and their relation to the professional
knowledge of women missionaries.
Each missionary organization established their own kindergartens in various regions during
the early days of kindergarten education in China. With the spread of kindergarten education in
China, the demand for kindergarten teachers increased, and each region began to train their own
kindergarten teachers. Many of these missionaries were women, trained to become teachers in
their home countries. For example, Bertha H. Allen, the first principal of Fuzhou Union
Kindergarten Training School, completed her kindergarten coursework at Los Angeles State
Normal School. There, she studied subjects related to early childhood education, including
science, art, theory, play, handicrafts, storytelling, piano, psychology, music, observation,
education, teaching, programs, and hygiene. Among these subjects, especially in the subject
called theory, Froebelʼs educational thought and the teaching methods of Gift were taught.
Second, this paper focuses on the subjects of Suzhou Kindergarten Training School and
Fuzhou Union Kindergarten Training School. The following four subjects are common to both
schools :
(1) Subjects related to the essence and purpose of early childhood education: kindergarten
principles, Froebelʼs life, play and theory.
(2) Subjects related to the content and methods of early childhood education: play, drawing,
music, and stories.
(3) Religious subjects : Bible and Old Testament characters, Gospel of John.
(4) General education subjects.
The characteristics are as follows. First, Froebelʼs educational thought was taught. Graduates
of the kindergarten teachers training institutions had learned and understood the importance of
education for mothers, the idea of play, and childrenʼs spontaneous play with Gift, as advocated by
Froebel. Second, the establishment of academic subjects at these training institutions related to
the women missionariesʼ educational background prior to their arrival in China. For example, the
educational content at Fuzhou Union Kindergarten Normal School, including handicrafts, music,
play and theory, drawing, as well as the life of Froebel were believed to be based on the expertise
that Principal Allen held prior to arriving in China.