Pre-service early childhood teachers learning about early childhood mathematics education as reflected in participant observation journals

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore the learning experiences of pre-service early childhood teachers through an analysis of the participant observation journals they wrote during a 7-week field observation in a childcare center as part of an early childhood mathematics education course. Methods The study collected participant observation journals from 20 third-year students majoring in Early Childhood Education at K University, P City, who had completed a 7-week field observation in a preschool classroom while taking the early childhood mathematics education course. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis, which involved a process of reading the data together, initial categorization, repeated readings, secondary recategorization, expert review, and final category confirmation. Results The analysis of the participant observation journals revealed that the pre-service early childhood teachers' learning about early childhood mathematics education was categorized into four themes: 1) “Mathematics beyond activities, embedded in children's everyday lives,” 2) “Mathematics approached with confidence and joy, breaking away from the prejudice that it is difficult,” 3) “Mathematics with teachers and peers, as important as play materials,” and 4) “The deepening of mathematics through the encounter between texts and the preschool classroom.” Conclusions Through field observations, pre-service early childhood teachers gained a comprehensive understanding of the objectives of early childhood mathematics education, the role of young children as active participants in mathematics, approaches to teaching mathematics, and the importance of teachers and the learning environment. The study suggests that meaningful learning for pre-service teachers occurs through experiences that immerse them in the context of children's lives, engage their senses, and enable them to actively respond to changing situations.