Purpose:This article examines how early childhood curriculum documents in two culturally different contexts are associated with current concepts of sustainability and principles of early childhood education for sustai...Purpose:This article examines how early childhood curriculum documents in two culturally different contexts are associated with current concepts of sustainability and principles of early childhood education for sustainability(ECEfS)in China and Norway.Design/Approach/Methods:Applying critical document analysis,the study explores a number of landmark curriculum documents from China and Norway,comparing the ways in which ECEfS is conceptualized,including the concept of sustainability,children as agents of change for sustainability,and sustainability in young children’s everyday lives.Findings:Corresponding to the analytical framework,China and Norway attach different importance to the three dimensions of sustainability-social-cultural,economic,and environmental.For example,Norway has a more autonomous view of children’s agency,while China gives more emphasis to teachers’support.The two countries also have different perspectives on how to work with families and communities based on significantly different traditions and institutions.The comparative document analysis argues that predominant cultural dimensions in each context,such as collectivist and individualistic factors,may shape the understandings of sustainability in each country’s early years’curriculum documents.Originality/Values:By broadening the focus on the social-cultural aspects of sustainability,this study extends the development of a culturally inclusive understanding of the concept of sustainability and contextualized/localized approaches to ECEfS across the globe.展开更多
Does enrolling children aged 0-3 in early childhood education(ECE)classes continuously empower their learning and development after entering kindergarten?Based on the tracking survey data of 664 children aged 3-6 in 2...Does enrolling children aged 0-3 in early childhood education(ECE)classes continuously empower their learning and development after entering kindergarten?Based on the tracking survey data of 664 children aged 3-6 in 2017 and 367 children aged 3-6 in 2018,this study uses Propensity Score Matching to analyze this issue.The findings reveal that children’s family socioeconomic status is a key factor influencing their participation in ECE classes.The baseline data show that participation in ECE classes does not significantly improve children’s learning and development.However,the follow-up data show that participation in ECE classes plays a significant negative role in motor development for children moving to their second year of kindergarten,but subsequently plays a positive role in language development,health,and safety for those entering their third year of kindergarten.Overall,participation in ECE classes plays no continuous positive role in children’s learning and development after they enter kindergarten.Based on these findings,it is suggested that parents should respect the natural laws of child development instead of blindly following the trend of attending ECE classes,and high-quality parental companionship is crucial.The Chinese government is supposed to implement policies such as“double reduction”to regulate ECE institutions that fail to operate in good faith.展开更多
文摘Purpose:This article examines how early childhood curriculum documents in two culturally different contexts are associated with current concepts of sustainability and principles of early childhood education for sustainability(ECEfS)in China and Norway.Design/Approach/Methods:Applying critical document analysis,the study explores a number of landmark curriculum documents from China and Norway,comparing the ways in which ECEfS is conceptualized,including the concept of sustainability,children as agents of change for sustainability,and sustainability in young children’s everyday lives.Findings:Corresponding to the analytical framework,China and Norway attach different importance to the three dimensions of sustainability-social-cultural,economic,and environmental.For example,Norway has a more autonomous view of children’s agency,while China gives more emphasis to teachers’support.The two countries also have different perspectives on how to work with families and communities based on significantly different traditions and institutions.The comparative document analysis argues that predominant cultural dimensions in each context,such as collectivist and individualistic factors,may shape the understandings of sustainability in each country’s early years’curriculum documents.Originality/Values:By broadening the focus on the social-cultural aspects of sustainability,this study extends the development of a culturally inclusive understanding of the concept of sustainability and contextualized/localized approaches to ECEfS across the globe.
基金research result of the general program“Family Capital,Shadow Education and Social Reproduction”(No.71774112)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘Does enrolling children aged 0-3 in early childhood education(ECE)classes continuously empower their learning and development after entering kindergarten?Based on the tracking survey data of 664 children aged 3-6 in 2017 and 367 children aged 3-6 in 2018,this study uses Propensity Score Matching to analyze this issue.The findings reveal that children’s family socioeconomic status is a key factor influencing their participation in ECE classes.The baseline data show that participation in ECE classes does not significantly improve children’s learning and development.However,the follow-up data show that participation in ECE classes plays a significant negative role in motor development for children moving to their second year of kindergarten,but subsequently plays a positive role in language development,health,and safety for those entering their third year of kindergarten.Overall,participation in ECE classes plays no continuous positive role in children’s learning and development after they enter kindergarten.Based on these findings,it is suggested that parents should respect the natural laws of child development instead of blindly following the trend of attending ECE classes,and high-quality parental companionship is crucial.The Chinese government is supposed to implement policies such as“double reduction”to regulate ECE institutions that fail to operate in good faith.
