Abstract

Purpose: This study is to analyze the purchasing process and distribution management requirements for teaching materials that have important meaning in the practical field of preschool education. Research design, data and methodology: A structured questionnaire was used to survey 103 childcare staffs regarding the purchasing process and distribution managements. The collected data underwent Likert's 5-point scale analysis and keyword grouping. Additionally, ANOVA was conducted to examine the distribution management demands based on demographic characteristics. Results: The purchasing of teaching materials involved more offline channels than online, and the purchase decisions were predominantly made by principals rather than teachers. Although the purchasing process is similar to that of general businesses, there are difficulties in purchasing due to the disorganized distribution channels and limited accessibility to product information. Additionally, the management of inventory for teaching materials is challenging due to limited personnel and storage. Childcare staffs have requirements for classification systems, evaluation criteria, environments and policies related to teaching materials distribution. The need to introduce a teaching material evaluation and certification system to ensure quality was not high. Conclusions: Most of the respondents recognized that strict management and measures should be taken for the distribution of teaching materials. There were differences in the demand of teaching material distribution depending on the respondents' status, age, education, and experience.