코로나19 시기를 살아가는 방과 후 강사의 삶의 경험

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the life experiences of an after-school instructor living in a social crisis situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the meanings of the life experiences. The participant was a woman in her late 40s working as an after-school instructor at an elementary school. Methods Data collection was carried out for about 3 months from September to December, 2020, and the collected field texts included interview data from in-depth interviews conducted in conjunction with art making activities, observations, field notes, the researcher's journal, and artworks. Data analysis was performed according to the narrative inquiry procedure proposed. Based on the field texts, research texts were constructed using the three-dimensional space narrative inquiry framework consisting of temporality, sociality, and place. Results Through the analysis of the life experience stories of the participant, four themes of the stories were identified as follows: ‘Leaving the life as a full-time housewife to step out into the world’, ‘The light and shadows in the life of an after-school instructor’, ‘Anxiety about job loss haunts me more than the fear of the coronavirus’, and ‘Another process of preparations to start afresh.’ Based on them, three meanings of the life experiences of the participant were derived as follows: ‘Reasons I live as an after-school instructor despite all the difficulties’, ‘A crisis turned into an opportunity for my growth’, and ‘Paintings have become a space for empathy and communication.’ Conclusions Based on the above analysis results, the meanings of the life experiences of an after-school instructor living through the COVID-19 pandemic were derived in the contexts of personal, practical and social justifications. First, the researcher and the participant explored their identities and the meanings of their work through confronting the life of an after-school instructor. Second, the experiences of painting pictures and art making became a new link of communication and relationship expansion, and the responsive art of the researcher was found to have a value as a tool for empathy. Third, through the process of art therapy, the researcher and the participant realized that there is a need for a social support system to address the problem of employment instability of after-school instructors.