유치원과 어린이집 교사 자격 및 양성 관련 체제 분석

Abstract

While integration of the two tiered systems of early childhood education and care(ECEC) is in progress in Korea, teacher quality control is considered one of the essentials prerequisites in the integration. With a growing attention on teacher qualification, reorganizing ECEC teacher certification and training system is one of the strategic tasks of the second step of Office for Integrating Early Childhood Education and Care, which is under Office for Government Policy Coordination. Under these circumstances, this research is to present quality improving measures by comparing the differences in teacher education and training systems between child care and education sectors, studying similar cases in foreign countries and surveying data. For this, literature was reviewed, a survey was conducted, and both workshops and advisory meetings were carried out. The survey was to understand the recognition on the teacher education and training systems of teachers and experts. The responses of 287 experts, 569 principals, and 900 teachers were analyzed. Findings showed other countries have in common in their effort to adjust upward the level of educational background of teachers. Different types of certifications in accordance with the roles a teacher plays were preferred. In the survey, the majority of respondents answered that teacher qualification in both sectors of education and child care needs to be unified, and also the teachers for infants (aged 0 to 2) and young children (aged 3 to 5). On the other hand, respondents have different opinions in that the qualification needs to differ according to their education level and the roles they take. When the integration is fully completed, the four years of university course is most recommendable for early childhood teachers, and requirements to be an ECEC teacher needs to be strengthened accordingly. Most respondents replied that Korea National Open University and cyber universities, childcare teacher institutions, and academic credit banks are inappropriate institutions to educate and train ECEC teachers. High rate of responses revealed their opinions that more obligatory credits need to be assigned to liberal arts courses and teaching profession courses among teacher education courses. The majority pointed out teachers most lack their expertise in problematic behavior education. It is required to structure the minimum level of public system of teacher appointment for private kindergartens and childcare centers. The ratio of teacher to children needs to be lowered slightly. The standard for teacher wages needs to be set by referring to the one of kindergarten teachers, when the integration is completed. Respondents answered that the government subsidy for ECEC teacher wages is appropriate. Considering the results mentioned above, basic directions to improve the education and training system are closing the quality gaps in education and care, enhancing teacher professionalism, and having children first and foremost attitudes rather than considering stakeholders. Improving measures are as follows: first, teacher education needs to become university level of education (4 years course); career personality and aptitude test should become mandatory; record standard needs to be set; authorization of training institutions needs to be conducted. Second, in training courses, teaching profession subjects should be assigned mandatory, teaching practice system needs to be structured and standard practice programs are developed. Third, it is necessary to have minimum public standard for private kindergarten and childcare center teachers and additional staffs are placed to lower the teacher to children ratio. Fourth, when integrating the qualifications of kindergarten and childcare center teachers, wages should harmonize with the system of kindergarten teachers and the governments has to support it.