The Role of Formal Curriculum Documents in Early Childhood Education Reform: China and Australia

Abstract

This chapter discusses the role of formal curriculum in early childhood education and care (ECEC) reform. China introduced a draft curriculum guideline in 2001 but most major policy documents to support curriculum reform have been produced since 2010. Australia released a curriculum document in 2009 which was mandated in 2012 with accompanying legislation, regulations and quality assessment. This was the National Quality Framework (NQF). Here we report on two research projects. Early childhood staff were at the forefront of curriculum reform and we wanted to explore their experiences with the curriculum documents and issues of interpretation and implementation. We collected data from staff in early childhood settings on their experience. In China a number of preschool directors from different provinces were interviewed about early childhood reforms and the curriculum document as a reform instrument. In Australia a number of educators volunteered to be interviewed after they had completed a questionnaire on their perceptions of “how children learn’’ (see Chaps. 5 and 6). They agreed to discuss their experiences with the national curriculum, Belonging, being and becoming: an early years learning framework (EYLF). Findings from these interviews suggest the process was challenging and there were a variety of interpretations that emerged in both contexts. The participants expressed their ideas in very different voices. The Chinese directors saw themselves as part of a system while the Australian participants, including directors and room leader, discussed their own personal impressions and confined comments to their own practice.