コロナ禍における遠隔会議システムツールを用いた保育実践の可能性と課題 : 3歳児クラスの絵本の読み聞かせと栽培活動に着目して

This study examined the possibilities of and issues in using teleconferencing system tools in early childhood education and care (ECEC)—for this, it focused on children’s words and actions and clarified how they participate in ECEC based on video recordings of such participation through these tools; these video recordings were analyzed using a time sample method. The analysis revealed that even three-year-olds who had not yet started preschool could concentrate for a certain period of time during picture book reading if they were in a relaxed state. However, it became apparent that the children were concentrating too hard and getting too close to the camera, which made it difficult for the ECEC teacher to discern their responses. In addition, during the vegetable cultivation activity, it was found that the children’s participation level increased when the caregiver conducted quiz-style activities while interacting with a person nearby. On the other hand, it was also found, the presence of that person affected concentration, which can impact participation. From the above, it can be said that the possibilities and challenges in ECEC using teleconferencing system tools are inextricably linked. The reason for this is that each family’s situation easily impacts the use of such tools. In particular, for three-year-olds who have not yet started kindergarten, receiving ECEC at home can easily turn a single event into both a possibility and a challenge because the boundary between the two is blurred.