ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This study aimed to analyze the changes in the language and cognitive development processes of preschool children and lower elementary school students due to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on clinical cases of children. The participants were seven child clinical experts from the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis, grounded in descriptive phenomenological research, as well as content analysis, which quantified the qualitative data. The main findings are as follows. First, changes in language development were categorized into six themes: ‘overall language development delay,’ ‘discrepancy and delay in expressive language development,’ ‘discrepancy between receptive and expressive language development,’ ‘difficulties in reading and writing,’ ‘decreased quality of interaction,’ and ‘effectiveness of rehabilitation and counseling in clinical settings.’ Second, changes in cognitive development were categorized into five themes: ‘discrepancy between intelligence and behavior,’ ‘immaturity of higher cognitive functions,’ ‘difficulties due to a decline in basic academic skills,’ ‘underdeveloped social cognitive abilities,’ and ‘negative effects of digital media use.’ Third, factors affecting language and cognitive development, as perceived through the clinical cases of child experts, were categorized into seven themes: ‘COVID-19-related health and safety,’ ‘family background,’ ‘parental roles and parenting attitudes,’ ‘child‘s individual characteristics,’ ‘childcare and educational environment,’ ‘digital media,’ and ‘vicious cycle.’ Based on these results, this study provides foundational data for preparing multifaceted intervention strategies for children and their parents who are vulnerable in terms of both language and cognitive development due to the pandemic, especially in clinical settings.

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