Early Childhood Education and Change in Diverse Cultural Contexts

Change is now a dominant feature of early childhood systems around the globe and many countries are currently facing significant economic, social and political developments that bring additional challenges that teaching and learning practices need to be able to respond to in a positive and effective way. Early Childhood Education and Change in Diverse Cultural Contexts examines how the educational systems in different countries respond to this change agenda, what they prioritise and how they deal with the adjustment process. Based on original and cutting-edge research and drawing upon diverse theoretical approaches, the book analyses new policies and pedagogical practices in a wide range of different cultural contexts. With contributions from Great Britain, the USA, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Estonia, New Zealand, South Africa and Singapore, this volume examines how educators might be able to innovate and respond positively to the shifting social and cultural situations in these contexts and others like them. Focusing on early childhood policy, professionalism and pedagogy, the book stimulates debate and dialogue about how the field is moving forward in the 21st century. Early Childhood Education and Change in Diverse Cultural Contexts should be essential reading for academics, researchers and postgraduate students engaged in the study of early childhood education, childhood studies and comparative education. Providing practical examples of how educational systems and educators might respond to change imperatives, the book should also be of great interest to teacher educators, current and pre-service teachers and policymakers around the world.

Chris Pascal is -a Director of the Centre for Research in Early Childhood, which is based in Birmingham in the UK. Tony Bertram is -a Director of the Centre for Research in Early Childhood, which is based in Birmingham in the UK. Marika Veisson is a Professor in the School of Education Sciences at Tallinn University in Estonia.

Preface Chris Pascal and Tony Bertram Introduction Chapter 1: Exploring notions of change and innovation in early childhood education Chris Pascal, Tony Bertram and Marika Veisson Section 1: Policy Chapter 2: Innovative Policies for ECE Provision in Eight Countries: Findings from the IEA Early Childhood Education Study Chris Pascal and Tony Bertram Chapter 3: Early Childhood Education in English-speaking Caribbean Cultural Communities Jaipaul Lalla Roopnarine and Jason Chiang Chapter 4: Rights-based Early Childhood Development in South Africa Hasina Ebrahim and NC Phatudi Chapter 5: Pragmatism in Policy Making: Influencing a Largely Privatised Early Childhood Education and Care Sector in Singapore Chee Wah Sum, May-Yin Sirene Lim and Ching Ting Tan Section 2: Professionalism and workforce Chapter 6: Preparing Early Childhood Teachers to Face New Challenges in the United States Suzanne Swartz and James Johnson Chapter 7: Constructions of Preschool Teachers' Professional Spaces in Estonian, Finnish, and Swedish Early Childhood Education Päivi Kupila, Kirsti Karila, Anette Sandberg and Aino Ugaste Chapter 8: The Place of Theory and Practice in Preschool Teachers' Pre-Service Education: Estonian Preschool Teachers' Evaluations in Conditions of Changing Professionalism Rain Mikser, Maire Tuul, Marika Veisson and Ivor Goodson Chapter 9: Early Childhood Education Professionals in New Zealand Kindergartens: Commitment and Challenges Marika Veisson and Jenny Ritchie Section 3: Curriculum and pedagogy Chapter 10: Parent's Views on Icelandic Preschool Education: A Comparison of 2005/2006 and 2016 Johanna Einarsdottir Chapter 11: Compassion and Emotional Worlds in Early Childhood Education Lasse Lipponen, Antti Rajala and Jaakko Hilppö Chapter 12: Creating a Science Rich Environment for Young Children Inge TimoStSuk Chapter 13: Young Children's (0-3 Years) Touch-Screen Use and Parental Mediation: Pedagogical Advice Elyna Nevski and Andra Siibak