감사일기 쓰기가 영유아교사의 감사성향과 삶의 만족도 및 인성 차원의 인간애, 봉사정신, 인내심에 미치는 영향

Abstract

본 연구는 감사일기 쓰기가 영유아교사의 감사성향과 삶의 만족도 및 인성에 미치는 영향을 살펴보고자 하였다. 영유아시기의 중요성을 고려해볼 때 영유아교사는 가장 영향력 있는 인물이라 할 수 있다. 따라서 교사의 정신건강, 더 나아가 삶의 만족도는 교사 자신의 행복감에 영향을 미칠 뿐 아니라 영유아와 교육환경의 질적 수준을 좌우하게 된다. 이에 본 연구는 영유아교사들에게 감사일기를 쓰게 하여 교사들의 긍정적인 변화를 기대하고, 앞으로 교사인성교육의 하나의 방법으로써 감사일기 쓰기를 제시하고자 하였다. 이와 같은 연구의 목적에 따라 선정한 연구문제는 다음과 같다.

1. 감사일기 쓰기가 영유아교사의 감사성향에 미치는 영향은 어떠한가? 2. 감사일기 쓰기가 영유아교사의 삶의 만족도에 미치는 영향은 어떠한가? 3. 감사일기 쓰기가 영유아교사의 인성 차원의 인간애, 봉사정신, 인내심에 미치는 영향은 어떠한가?

연구대상은 서울특별시와 경기도에 소재한 영유아교육기관에서 근무하고 있는 교사 35명이다. 연구기간은 2019년 9월 1일부터 2019년 9월 30일까지로, 실험집단은 한 달 동안 주 2회씩, 총 8회에 걸쳐 감사일기 쓰기를 실시하였다. 연구자가 제공한 일기 양식에 맞추어 감사일기의 내용을 작성하였고, 연구자는 교사들의 일기를 읽고 즉각 피드백을 주었다. 본 연구에서 연구도구로 활용된 설문지는 연구 대상의 일반적인 배경, 교사의 감사성향, 삶의 만족도, 그리고 인성을 알아보기 위한 4가지 영역으로 구성하였다. 먼저 영유아교사의 감사성향을 측정하기 위해 최해진(2017)이 개발한 유아교사 감사성향 도구를 사용하였다. 그리고 삶의 만족도 척도는 민성길 외(2000)가 번역한 WHOQOL-Bref한국판을 활용하였으며, 정은희(2019)가 수정·보완한 영유아교사 인성평정 척도를 사용하였다. SPSS 23.0 통계 프로그램을 사용하여 분석하였고, 독립표본 t검증 실시, 2x2 이원변량분석(two-way ANOVA), 집단별 사전-사후-추후 간 대응표본 t검증 실시하였다. 또 Hedges’s g값을 산출하여 효과크기를 분석하였다. 본 연구의 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 감사일기 쓰기 경험이 영유아교사의 감사성향, 삶의 만족도, 인성에 미치는 효과를 알아본 결과, 모든 결과변인에서 유의미한 변화가 나타났다. 특별히 삶의 만족도와 인성은 쉽게 변하지 않는 특성을 가지고 있음에도 불구하고 높은 효과크기를 보여 감사일기 쓰기의 효과를 검증하였다. 또한 연구 종료 한 달 후인 시점에 이루어진 추후 점수 비교에서도 그 효과가 유지된 것이 확인되었다. 둘째, 분석 결과, 감사일기는 자신의 삶을 반성적으로 관찰하며, 부정적인 것에 주목하기보다 감사함으로써 생각을 돌이켜 긍정적으로 바라볼 수 있는 힘을 길러줄 수 있다. 이와 같은 감사일기를 꾸준히 작성하는 습관은 하루를 보다 의미 있게 만들고, 삶에 만족감을 주는 기능을 할 것이다. 결론적으로 감사일기는 영유아교사의 행복감을 향상시킬 뿐만 아니라 영유아들의 행복, 더 나아가 영유아교육의 질을 높일 수 있는 효과적인 방법임을 확인함으로써 향후 교사인성교육에 있어 방향을 제시하였다는데 의의가 있다.| This study provides the effects of grateful journaling on early childhood teacher’s gratitude disposition, life satisfaction and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. Given the importance of early childhood of one’s life, teacher during this stage of life is among the most influential people in a child's life. In this context, mental health and life satisfaction of a teacher not only affects his or her own happiness but also the quality of the childhood education environment. This study expected positive effects of grateful journaling to early childhood teachers and invited them to keep the grateful journal on a regular basis. In addition, this research suggests the grateful journaling as a new way to build teachers’ virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. In this context, this research addresses the following research problems.

1. How does the grateful journaling affect early childhood education teacher’s gratitude disposition? 2. How does the grateful journaling affect early childhood education teacher’s life satisfaction? 3. How does the grateful journaling affect early childhood education teacher’s virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance?

35 early childhood teachers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province participated in the research by keeping the grateful journaling for 8 times, twice a week, between September 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019. They kept the grateful journal per the format given by the researcher, who provided immediate feedback after reviewing their journals. This research utilized a questionnaire as a research tool, and it consists of four domains including teacher’s general background, grateful disposition, life satisfaction, and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. This study used Choi Hae Jin’s grateful disposition measuring tool for teachers to measure their grateful disposition. In addition, other research tools including the WHOQOL-Bref Korean version translated by Min Sungil (2000) and the Personality Measuring Standard updated by Chung Eunhee (2019) were used to measure their life satisfaction. The research result went through SPSS 23.0 analysis, independent t-test, two-way ANOVA, and comparative pre and post sample t-test. Plus, this research analyzed Hedges’s g value to analyze the effect size. The research result provides the following. First, grateful journaling led to meaningful changes in gratitude disposition, life satisfaction and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. In particular, the research proves the effect of grateful journaling as it greatly contributed to life satisfaction and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance, which hardly change. Moreover, the effect of grateful journaling was confirmed effective even after a month after the research. Second, grateful journaling helps teachers look back on their life, avoid negative thinking, and develop positive viewpoint. Therefore, steady and long-term grateful journaling will give more meaning and satisfaction to teachers. In conclusion, this research is meaningful as it suggests a new direction to improve teacher’s virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance by confirming that grateful journaling contributes to the happiness of both teachers and children, and the quality of early childhood education.; This study provides the effects of grateful journaling on early childhood teacher’s gratitude disposition, life satisfaction and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. Given the importance of early childhood of one’s life, teacher during this stage of life is among the most influential people in a child's life. In this context, mental health and life satisfaction of a teacher not only affects his or her own happiness but also the quality of the childhood education environment. This study expected positive effects of grateful journaling to early childhood teachers and invited them to keep the grateful journal on a regular basis. In addition, this research suggests the grateful journaling as a new way to build teachers’ virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. In this context, this research addresses the following research problems.

1. How does the grateful journaling affect early childhood education teacher’s gratitude disposition? 2. How does the grateful journaling affect early childhood education teacher’s life satisfaction? 3. How does the grateful journaling affect early childhood education teacher’s virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance?

35 early childhood teachers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province participated in the research by keeping the grateful journaling for 8 times, twice a week, between September 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019. They kept the grateful journal per the format given by the researcher, who provided immediate feedback after reviewing their journals. This research utilized a questionnaire as a research tool, and it consists of four domains including teacher’s general background, grateful disposition, life satisfaction, and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. This study used Choi Hae Jin’s grateful disposition measuring tool for teachers to measure their grateful disposition. In addition, other research tools including the WHOQOL-Bref Korean version translated by Min Sungil (2000) and the Personality Measuring Standard updated by Chung Eunhee (2019) were used to measure their life satisfaction. The research result went through SPSS 23.0 analysis, independent t-test, two-way ANOVA, and comparative pre and post sample t-test. Plus, this research analyzed Hedges’s g value to analyze the effect size. The research result provides the following. First, grateful journaling led to meaningful changes in gratitude disposition, life satisfaction and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance. In particular, the research proves the effect of grateful journaling as it greatly contributed to life satisfaction and virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance, which hardly change. Moreover, the effect of grateful journaling was confirmed effective even after a month after the research. Second, grateful journaling helps teachers look back on their life, avoid negative thinking, and develop positive viewpoint. Therefore, steady and long-term grateful journaling will give more meaning and satisfaction to teachers. In conclusion, this research is meaningful as it suggests a new direction to improve teacher’s virtues of philanthropy, commitment and perseverance by confirming that grateful journaling contributes to the happiness of both teachers and children, and the quality of early childhood education.