어린이의 독립적인 이동성에 관한 연구

Abstract

This study examines the patterns of independent mobility among elementary school children and analyzes the factors that influence these patterns in order to explore their educational implications for children’s place experiences. Children’s independent mobility was divided into school commuting mobility and everyday life mobility, and a survey was conducted on parental permission, perceptions of neighborhood safety, and perceptions of the local environment. The results show that school commuting mobility displayed little variation, largely due to the fixed and proximal nature of commuting routes. In contrast, everyday life mobility was significantly associated with parents’ permissive attitudes and children’s positive perceptions of the local environment. These findings indicate that independent mobility is shaped by the interaction of personal, psychological, and environmental factors. The study contributes to the field by empirically assessing children’s mobility and identifying related factors, while interpreting these findings through a geography education lens. It further emphasizes that children’s everyday mobility experiences foster place attachment and spatial awareness through sensory and social engagement with their surroundings. Based on these insights, the study suggests that elementary geography education should incorporate learning activities that utilize children’s lived spaces and mobility experiences as meaningful resources for exploring and understanding their immediate environments.