• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-25
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore about 2-year-old infants' attachment security to a child care teacher and peer play process through a case study. For this purpose, the attachment security was assessed with attachment Q-set to 2-year-old five infants at a day care center in Seoul. Participants of this study are four infants included two infants attached securely to their child care teacher and two infants attached insecurely to their child care teacher. Methods: Participant observation was conducted from April 12 to July 19 in 2018 through 36 observations in free play activities. The Data collected from the transcriptions of video shoots and teachers' interviews, child care plans, and reflexive journal was analyzed and interpreted. Results: The main results of the research were as follows: The beginning of peer play, when infants invited their peers to play, secure attachment infants selected suitable play partners and asked for a specific play behaviors. However, insecure attachment infants invited unsuitable play partners and asked uncertainly play actions to peers. In addition, when infants entered in-progress play, secure attachment infants understood the context of play but insecure attachment infants did not understand the context of play. In the progress of peer play, secure attachment infants cooperated with peers, shared play objects, but insecure attachment infants did not cooperate complementally with peers and express only their opinions. As well, insecure attachment infants could not play harmoniously without child care teacher's interventions. In the end of the peer play, secure attachment infants finished in collaboration with peers but insecure attachment infants failed to finish with the peers and was turned into play with the child care teacher because of peer conflict. Conclusion/Implications: This study has implications for basic resources to think about the role of child care teachers by helping them understand about the relation 2-year-old infants' attachment security to them and peer play process.