A Critical Analysis of Education for Sustainability in Early Childhood Curriculum Documents in China and Norway

Autor/inn/en	Li, Minyi; Zhang, Yulin; Yuan, Lehan; Birkeland, Åsta
Titel	A Critical Analysis of Education for Sustainability in Early Childhood Curriculum Documents in China and Norway
Quelle	In: ECNU Review of Education, 2 (2019) 4, S.441-457 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext (1); PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei (2) Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2096-5311
DOI	10.1177/2096531119893483
Schlagwörter	Early Childhood Education; Cross Cultural Studies; Sustainability; Environmental Education; Foreign Countries; Change Agents; Teaching Methods; Social Influences; Cultural Influences; Economic Factors; Personal Autonomy; Comparative Education; Teacher Role; Family School Relationship; School Community Relationship; Preschool Curriculum; Norway; China + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Early childhood; Education; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik; Cultural comparison; Kulturvergleich; Nachhaltigkeit; Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik; Ausland; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Sozialer Einfluss; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Ökonomischer Faktor; Individuelle Autonomie; Vergleichende Erziehungswissenschaft; Lehrerrolle; Norwegen
Abstract	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. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01