Investigation on the Applicability of Reggio Emilia Approach in Teaching Early Childhood Education: An Intensive Comparison between China and Tanzania

Sarah Vincent Chiwamba

doi:10.5539/jedp.v6n2p29

Abstract

<p>There have been rapid economic and social demands that have continued to challenge the traditional teacher, child and parent interactions in early child education programs. Many developed countries have strategized several approaches to counter these challenges. However, third world countries are still formulating policies which can be sustainable in their present economic statuses. The Reggio Emilia (RE) Early Childhood Education (ECE) approaches has been instrumental in increasing the levels of interactions between teacher, child and the parent in developed countries. Nevertheless, a more dynamic and comprehensive approach is needed to cater for the economic and multiethnic social needs of early childhood education in developing countries. This study investigated the level of teacher, child and parent interaction in China and Tanzania with the aim of establishing the workability of Reggio Emilia (RE) in these two diverse countries. Carefully designed questionnaires based on the core values of Reggio Emilia approach has been used to obtain data from a sample of 60 early childhood teachers from China and 60 early child hood teachers from Tanzania making total of 120 early childhood teachers. Both private and public early childhood schools of China and Tanzania were involved in this study whereby from China a total of 8 schools were involved and Tanzania a total of 12 schools were involved. Both quantitative and qualitative design has been employed in this study with the use of questionnaire and interview methods in data collection from the field while social statistical software (SPSS 15) and Origin 7.0 has been used to analyze data and making of charts and graphs for visualization of the results. Result obtained from this study revealed that, Reggio Emilia interactive approach was applicable and welcomed by significant number of teachers and policy approaches; However on the other side, the findings revealed poor relationship between parents and the role of emergent curriculum to its fully meaning was not well fulfilled as most of early childhood schools in China and Tanzania found to practising the whole class teaching where by teacher knows everything. It was concluded that, the way children’s are being taught in one country will be totally different from another country although the basic outcome of the learners should be similar. The important aspect to put into consideration is people’s culture, environment, and their economic status accordingly. Hence there is a need for both countries of study to review their early childhood education policies in order to create better learning opportunities for all children.</p>

Highlights

There have been alignments of diverse curriculum approaches with the increasingly open and diversified society
The results showed that both countries have cordial close relationships that exist between the children and their teachers with a 76.7% and 90.0% interaction satisfaction in China and Tanzania respectively
None of early childhood teachers from China responded to be dissatisfied; there were 10.0% of the teachers in Tanzania who indicated some dissatisfaction in their current relationship with the children

Summary

Introduction

There have been alignments of diverse curriculum approaches with the increasingly open and diversified society. All approaches have an aspect of parental involvement when a child starts going to school, there is less parent involvement in the day to day learning. Appropriate approaches are necessary to introduce a child to this learning environment and lay a foundation which a child can be able to overcome the “transitions shocks” (Malaguzzi, 1996). In China, the document called The Rules on Kindergarten Routines, issued by the National Education Committee of 1989, reflected the early childhood education reforms so as to enable environment for a child to be able to face the world, the future and modernization. One of the aspects emphasized was an integrated curriculum. This creative and adaptive curriculum learning approach was www.ccsenet.org/jedp

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Conclusion