A Qualitative Metasynthesis of How Early Educators in International Contexts Address Cultural Matters That Contrast With Developmentally Appropriate Practices

• In Event: International Early Childhood Issues

Abstract

A central issue for early educators working across various cultures is whether the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s guidelines for developmentally appropriate practices are sensitive to the sociocultural contexts in which they work. To shed further light on this issue, a qualitative metasynthesis was conducted that examined findings from published peer-reviewed studies of developmentally appropriate practices in international early childhood contexts that examined either early educators’ conceptions and/or use of these practices. Synthesizing this work offers the chance to develop a broader, more complex understanding of what issues may arise for early educators in international contexts as well as for teachers in the United States who engage in such practices with an increasingly diverse population of young children.

Authors

• Christopher P. Brown, The University of Texas - Austin

• Yi-Chin Lan, Taipei Municipal University of Education

• Natalie Babiak Weber, Taylor Independent School District