摘要
中國人傳統的觀念，成人總是避免讓幼兒接觸死亡，從經過喪家門口要幼兒摀住眼睛可見一斑，而成人的保護過度真的能讓幼兒避開相關死亡的情境嗎？其實，「死亡」是真實的存在我們生活週遭，幼兒在日常生活中或多或少都會接觸到相關死亡的訊息。
本研究起於台北市某私立托兒所八位中小班混齡幼兒，親眼目睹小狗意外死亡事件，藉以探究：學齡前幼兒對於死亡概念的瞭解；幼兒面對死亡時的心理歷程。研究工具採晤談法與自然觀察紀錄，從幼兒、家長、與研究者三方面角度瞭解幼兒對死亡概念的認識與心理歷程。
以本研究結果認爲，「死亡」這議題不該再被阻隔與邊緣化，應讓幼兒自然而然的接觸在生活所面臨到的事物，進而學習面對問題時的因應之道。因此建議，在父母方面：讓幼兒在自然的情境中接觸生老病死的循環；建立對生命正確的態度；當面對死亡情境與以適當的慰藉；慎選電視節目。在教保人員方面：充實生命教育的課程；讓幼兒實際體驗生命的歷程；輔導幼兒正確抒發情緒的管道。希望本研究有助於家長與教保人員對幼兒面對死亡議題時有所瞭解
並列摘要
In Chinese tradition, parents always protect their children away from death. It can be proved that when passing a funeral, parents covered children's eyes. But can adult's protection really help children away from death? In fact, death is really existing around our daily life, children should learn about death.
Participants of this research are eight preschool-aged children in a nursery center in Taipei, those children witnessed a dog died in car accident, and the research investigates: (a) how the preschool-aged children know about death? (b) How children adjust to this accident? The researcher used interview and observation to understand children, parents and teachers' death concepts and their psychological process.
The results are: ”death” is not to be separated and marginalization, children should face everything naturally in their daily life in order to learn how to solve problems. The researcher suggests parents: (a) Let children learn about life's circulation in a natural way. (b) Have positive attitude about life. (c) Provide comfort when children experience death (d) Chooses the television program cautiously. Suggestions to teachers are: (a) to enrich life curriculum. (b) Let children experience the cycle of life. (c) Teach children express their feeling and emotions. This research can help parents and teachers to understand children's concepts of death and how adults can help.
延伸閱讀
- 曹純瓊、陳正芬、李怡芳（2005）。幼兒死亡概念及其影響因素之探討。幼兒保育學刊，(3)，31-55。https://doi.org/10.6433/JCC.200512.0031
- 陳玉梅（2006）。幼兒生命教育課程設計。教師之友，47(4)，57-66。https://doi.org/10.7053/TF.200610.0057
- 謝寶梅（1982）。讓小孩認識死亡。師友月刊，(178)，35-39。https://doi.org/10.6437/EM.198204.0035
- 劉惠婷（2010）。幼兒危險因子之調查研究〔碩士論文，朝陽科技大學〕。華藝線上圖書館。https://www.airitilibrary.com/Article/Detail?DocID=U0078-2611201410130668
- 盧文雄、魏火曜（1966）。Suicide Attempts in Children。Acta Paediatrica Sinica，7(3)，157-160。https://www.airitilibrary.com/Article/Detail?DocID=00016578-196609-7-3-157-160-a