This is a qualitative research to analyze the meaning of the actual field observation experience of
pre-service early childhood teachers, who visit kindergartens and day care centers. This study targeted
132 freshmen in the Department of Early Childhood Education at a collage in Daejeon City. The
collected data were journals, final reviews and observation records and they were analyzed after
coding. The study findings are as follows. First, pre-service early childhood teachers began to
understand working as an early childhood teacher and felt that they started on the road to early
childhood teachers through field observation. Second, pre-service early childhood teachers definitely
realized that the theories, they learned, were related to practice and could understand what they
understood vaguely, or didn't understand well, deeper. Third, observation skills of pre-service early
childhood teachers improved gradually, as their observation experience increased, although they were
embarrassed and had difficulties when they first visited kindergartens or day care centers. Fourth,
pre-service early childhood teachers reflected upon themselves and recognized their defects by
observing competent teachers actually. This led to improvement of inner motive for major studies.
Fifth, pre-service early childhood teachers strengthened mental attitudes as teachers and established
teacher images that they hoped. These results suggest teachers will need to perceive the importance
of initial field observation for pre-service early childhood teachers and decide the direction of
observation practice and curriculum and manage to maximize the effect.