Navigating Cultural Diversity in Education: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Children’s Sharing Behavior

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Learning and Motivation in Social and Cultural Contexts Roundtable (Table 30)

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive, cross-cultural investigation of young children’s sharing behaviors—an essential but understudied dimension of prosocial actions. Employing a systematic literature review, we uncover cultural diversity in sharing's extent, context, and motivations, addressing a Western-centric bias in existing research. Our exploration introduces a novel multi-level system and cultural positioning model, providing an enhanced understanding of influences on children's sharing. We also propose strategies to promote sharing, aiming to cultivate greater inclusivity and appreciation of cultural diversity within educational settings. Overall, this study emphasizes the significance of cross-cultural perspectives in social and emotional learning research and its potential implications for early childhood education.

Author

• Yijie Wang, University of Washington