Early childhood teacher research and social-emotional learning: Implications for the development of culturally sensitive curriculum in Singapore

Abstract

Teacher research has been promoted as a context-relevant approach to improving children’s learning experiences in early childhood settings. In this article, we focus on social-emotional learning (SEL), a crucial domain of the early childhood curriculum, to illustrate the role of teacher research in changing early childhood teachers’ everyday practices. We present an informative project on facilitating toddlers’ conflict resolution to exemplify the process of early childhood teacher research for supporting SEL. Evidence of the teacher research project revealed that integrating the child-focused approach into the existing curriculum was beneficial for promoting children’s conflict resolution skills and self-regulation. As situated in the particular context of Singapore, this case of teacher research presents how to successfully innovate early childhood curriculum practices within sociocultural realities, which include the hierarchical management culture, the imbalance between pressure upon and support for teachers, and limited time and resources. Suggestions and implications for early childhood practitioners and policymakers are also discussed.