An Analysis on the Preference of Early Childhood Teachers in Horticultural Activities Based on Conjoint Analysis

Background and objective: This study conducted a conjoint analysis on early childhood teachers to find out their preferences in horticultural activities that are used as a means of education in early childhood education.Methods: For the conjoint analysis, five attributes of horticultural activities were selected. Attribute 1 was method of horticultural activities, divided into two levels: exclusive and integrated horticultural activities. Attribute 2 was object of horticultural activities, divided into three levels: fruit crops, vegetable crops, and floricultural crops. Attribute 3 was activity type, divided into three levels: big and small group, free choice, and outdoor play. Attribute 4 was place for horticultural activities, and divided into two levels: indoors and outdoors. Attribute 5 was time for horticultural activities, divided into two levels: 30 minutes and 30–60 minutes. The orthogonal design was used to extract 20 profiles, after which we conducted a survey on 320 early childhood teachers and analyzed the valid responses from 257 teachers.Results: The preference of early childhood teachers showed highest importance in object (29.1%), followed by activity type (23.2%), activity method (17.4%), time (16.1%), and place (14.2%) (Pearson’s R = .591, p = .008). By level of each attribute, the importance was high in exclusive horticultural activities for activity method, big and small group for activity type, vegetable and floricultural crops for object, indoors for place, and 30 minutes for time.Conclusion: The horticultural program preferred by early childhood teachers is comprised of big and small group activities using vegetable and floricultural crops, carried out indoors for 30 minutes as an exclusive class.Key words: attribute, big and small groups, vegetable crops