Moving from imitation to innovation: Exploring a Chinese model of early childhood curriculum leadership

Abstract

School leadership plays a critical role in providing appropriate and sustainable curriculum practices. However, there remain significant knowledge gaps in understanding early childhood curriculum leadership in Chinese contexts. In order to examine early childhood curriculum leadership in such contexts, this study analyses and interprets data from interviews with leaders in five Chinese kindergartens. Data from classroom observations and curriculum documents are used to supplement the interviews. The evidence indicates that, in each of the Chinese kindergartens, (1) early childhood curriculum innovations led by the curriculum leaders evolved through stages from imitating imported models to innovating practices; (2) the leaders played various roles in different stages of the early childhood curriculum innovations; and (3) the leading process in early childhood curriculum innovations involved critical events along the action research cycles. The characteristics of early childhood curriculum leadership are drawn from these cases to develop a multistage integrated model. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed to inform the enhancement of early childhood curriculum and early childhood curriculum leadership practices in Chinese societies and beyond.

The role of culture in early childhood curriculum development: A case study of curriculum innovations in Hong Kong kindergartens

“…This major finding has been revealed in many other anthropological, sociological and educational studies (e.g. Marsh, 2000;Tobin et al, 1991Tobin et al, , 2009Yang andLi, 2018a, 2018b). However, instead of only following the dominant culture, many early childhood researchers have argued that ECC should disrupt these dominant discourses to embrace diversity and multiculturalism (e.g.…”

“…Students should be humble and respectful to knowledge and teachers (Li, 2010;Li and Wang, 2004). These traditional Chinese values still have far-reaching effects on ECE (Yang andLi, 2018b, 2019b).…”

“…Meanwhile, curriculum can be viewed as an activity system of teaching and learning that evolves over time. The role of culture in early childhood curriculum (ECC) development has caused widespread concern since the dominating discourse and praxis of developmentally appropriate practice was criticised and even rejected at the turn of the millennium (Dahlberg et al, 1999;Moss et al, 2016;Tobin, 2005Tobin, , 2011Tobin et al, 1991Tobin et al, , 2009Yang andLi, 2019a, 2019b). Nowadays, scholars tend to agree that culture shapes early years learning and development (e.g.…”

Constructing early childhood leadership models in China: a mixed-methods study

“…Specifically, teacher leadership is facilitated by teachers' professional development, which is gained through a number of forms such as establishing regular ECE programs and training programs for directors and in-service teachers (Zhou, 2011). Due to recent advocacies of school-based curriculum development in China, which demonstrates a decentralization and empowerment movement of early childhood curriculum decision-making, preschool teachers are expected to take leadership roles in providing appropriate and sustainable curriculum practices, so as to enable policy implementation (Yang, 2019).…”

Early childhood curriculum policies and practices in Singapore: The case of glocalisation

“…This is especially true when we recognise that curriculum as a cultural practice reflects societal values and expectations that will determine the future of younger generations via its design and implementation (Ang, 2014; Yang, 2018). There is a trend that early childhood leaders and teachers leading and implementing curriculum are encouraged to consider local cultures and values in fostering culturally sensitive practices (Yang, 2019; Yang and Li, 2018). Owing to the interactions with globalisation, Singapore’s early childhood curriculum is hybrid in nature, reflecting traditional Asian cultures and values and absorbing ideas and good practices from other countries (regions) such as Australia, Hong Kong, China, UK and USA (Bull et al., 2018).…”