Early Childhood Teacher’s Perception of Good Early Childhood Mathematics Education Using Metaphor Analysis

Objectives The purposes of this study was to use metaphor analysis to categorize and analyze early childhood teachers’ perceptions of good early childhood mathematics education to help effectively apply good early childhood mathematics education to the field. Methods A metaphor analysis questionnaire was distributed online to teachers of 3-5 year olds working at a childhood education institutions in all country of Korea. And data analysis modified and supplemented the five stages of metaphor analysis proposed by Gok and Erdogan (2010) to suit this study, including metaphor discrimination stage, metaphor categorization stage, metaphor category development stage, reliability and validity review stage of metaphor categories, and quantitative data production. Results As a result of categorizing the metaphorical expressions and reasons by the teachers, the major categories emerged as aspects of young children, teachers, society, and the country, and approached from the teacher’s perspective was the most category type. First, from the perspective of young children, good early childhood mathematics education was recognized in the following order: ‘education with enjoyment, fun, and curiosity’, ‘education to foster logical and mathematical thinking’, and ‘experience-centered education’. Second, from the teacher’s perspective as ‘education through daily life’, ‘play-centered education’, and ‘education requiring teaching and learning support’. Third, the social and national aspects that need to be looked at in order to suggest the direction in which good early childhood mathematics education should move in the future are ‘education as the foundation of human development’, ‘education as an essential part of life’, and ‘education to prepare for the future society’. It was expressed in the following order: ‘education’ and ‘education for linking kindergartens and elementary schools.’ Conclusions The results of this study is significant in that it identify early childhood teachers' diverse thoughts and values ​​regarding good early childhood mathematics education by typifying early childhood teachers' perceptions of good early childhood mathematics education through metaphor analysis, and understand the early childhood teachers' in-depth thoughts on implementing early childhood mathematics education.