어린이집 초임원장의 평가제 참여 경험과 의미

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore in depth the experiences and implications of participating in the appraisal system of daycare center directors. To this end, five first-time directors of daycare centres were selected as research participants and the study was conducted using a narrative inquiry process. Data were collected by conducting at least two individual and group in-depth interviews with each participant from October 2022 to April 2023, and collecting documents on the participants' schedules, plans, and preparations for participating in the evaluation system. The results of the study revealed that the meaning of the experience of participating in the evaluation system for the first director of a daycare center was ‘a mountain to be overcome once', 'leadership comes from a solid self', and 'the first step to the next level'. From these findings, it can be concluded that through participating in the appraisal system, the first director of a daycare center experienced both professional improvement as a director and improvement in the quality of daycare services. By revealing the difficulties and positive situations of participating in the evaluation system, the results of this study provide a basis for providing institutional support for improving the professionalism of daycare center directors.