When East Meets West: A Case Study of School-Based Curriculum Development in a Chinese Kindergarten

• In Event: 58.083 - Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: 58.083-17 - Transgressive and Transformational Learning in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the nature of and mechanisms underlying school-based curriculum (SBC) development (SBCD) in a typical kindergarten in Shenzhen, China. Data obtained from interviews, observations and documents were triangulated to determine why and how curriculum innovations had taken place and the features of the SBC introduced. This study indicated that: (1) SBCD in the kindergarten under study was a dynamic process undertaken in four sequential stages: imitation, absorption, integration, and evaluation; (2) the resulting SBC was a sophisticated curricular system balancing child-centered and teacher-directed approaches and hybridizing Eastern and Western curriculum styles; (3) the SBCD was guided by Chinese philosophy (emphasizing harmony), which offers a valuable perspective on recent curriculum changes in Chinese kindergartens.

Authors

• Weipeng Yang, University of Hong Kong

• Hui Li, University of Hong Kong