A comparison of curricular practices in Chinese kindergartens: The influence of curriculum reform

Abstract

China launched a top-down curriculum reform in kindergartens in the 1980s. In order to examine the influence of this reform, this study compared the similarities and differences in curricular practices in kindergartens with different sponsoring bodies in Shanxi province. Altogether, 26 principals and 95 teachers in 50 classrooms from 26 kindergartens participated in the study. Principals and teachers completed questionnaires and were interviewed and kindergartens were observed. Results indicated that kindergartens in Shanxi have made great progress in the arrangement of indoor space, arranging the schedule and allocating attention to individual needs. Kindergartens under local education bureaux and work units were significantly better than kindergartens under town governments in these aspects. But kindergartens with different sponsoring bodies still have not attained the reform objectives in terms of teacher-child interactions and the organization of curricular activities. There was a relation between resource availability and curricular practice and the influences of the macro culture and educational institutions on curricular practice are discussed.