Table Of ContentThe Glocalization of Early Childhood
Curriculum
With empirical evidence and theoretical critique, this book unveils the
myths and debates (e.g., child-centeredness versus teacher-directedness)
about early childhood curricula, revealing their unique social, cultural, and
historical roots.
Analyzing globally advocated early childhood curricula and ideologies,
such as the developmentally appropriate practice, the child-centered
approach, constructivism, and globalized childhood, this book argues that
the direct adoption of these contextually bound approaches in local environ-
ments may be inappropriate if social and cultural compatibility is lacking.
The authors then examine how early childhood curricula may be imple-
mented in a hybrid form. Featuring case studies from American and Chinese
contexts, this book offers insights and recommendations for the future
development and redeployment of early childhood curriculum studies and
practices in a post-truth era.
This volume serves as a valuable resource for scholars and students of early
childhood education and comparative education, as well as for key education
stakeholders.
Philip Hui Li, Ph.D., is the Dean and Chair Professor of Shanghai Institute
of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University. He is also an
Honorary Professor at Macquarie University, Australia.
Jennifer J. Chen, Ed.D., is professor of early childhood and family studies
at Kean University in New Jersey, USA. She earned her doctorate in human
development and psychology from Harvard University Graduate School of
Education.
Routledge Research in Early Childhood Education
This series provides a platform for researchers to present their latest
research and discuss key issues in Early Childhood Education.
Books in the series include:
Early Childhood Education in Germany
Exploring Historical Developments and Theoretical Issues
Edited by Bianca Bloch, Melanie Kuhn, Marc Schulz, Wilfried Smidt and
Ursula Stenger
Early Childhood Teachers’ Professional Competence in Mathematics
Edited by Simone Dunekacke, Aljoscha Jegodtka, Thomas Koinzer, Katja
Eilerts and Lars Jenßen
Decisions and Dilemmas of Research Methods in Early Childhood
Education
Edited by Anne Keary, Janet Scull, Susanne Garvis and Lucas Walsh
Play Therapy and Expressive Arts in a Complex and Dynamic World
Opportunities and Challenges Inside and Outside the Playroom
Edited by Isabella Cassina, Claudio Mochi and Karen Stagnitti
The Yew Chung Approach to Early Childhood Education
Centering Emergent Curriculum, Child-Led Inquiry, and Multilingualism
Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith, Sylvia Ya-Hsuan Yang and Kutasha
Bryan-Silva
The Glocalization of Early Childhood Curriculum
Global Childhoods, Local Curricula
Philip Hui Li and Jennifer J. Chen
For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.
com/Routledge-Research-in-Early-Childhood-Education/book-series/
RRECE
The Glocalization of Early
Childhood Curriculum
Global Childhoods, Local Curricula
Philip Hui Li and Jennifer J. Chen
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2023 Philip Hui Li and Jennifer J. Chen
The right of Philip Hui Li and Jennifer J. Chen to be identified as
authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Li, Philip Hui, author. | Chen, Jennifer Jun-Li, author.
Title: The glocalization of early childhood curriculum : global childhoods,
local curricula / Philip Hui Li and Jennifer J. Chen.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. | Series:
Routledge research in early childhood education | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022041219 (print) | LCCN 2022041220 (ebook) | ISBN
9781032229508 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032229515 (paperback) | ISBN
9781003274865 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Early childhood education--Curricula. | Early childhood
education--Social aspects. | Glocalization.
Classification: LCC LB1139.4 .L5 2023 (print) | LCC LB1139.4 (ebook) |
DDC 372.21--dc23/eng/20221025
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041219
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041220
ISBN: 978-1-032-22950-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-22951-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-27486-5 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003274865
Typeset in Galliard
by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive)
To our respective spouses and children (who thrive in the
best of both worlds, global and local),
thank you for your continued support of our scholarly
endeavors!
To all early childhood teachers and children around the
world (who are shaping the future),
may you find and practice your own “best” globalized,
localized, and/or glocalized approaches to teaching and
learning!
Contents
List of Illustrations ix
About the Authors x
Foreword xii
Preface xv
1 The Glocalization of Early Childhood Curriculum 1
PHILIP HUI LI AND JENNIFER J. CHEN
2 “Child-Centered Pedagogy”: Where It Might Be Right and
Where It Might Be Wrong 24
PHILIP HUI LI AND JENNIFER J. CHEN
3 Constructivism and Instructivism in Early Childhood
Curriculum: Critiques and Reflections 42
PHILIP HUI LI AND JENNIFER J. CHEN
4 Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood
Curriculum: What’s Missing? 53
JENNIFER J. CHEN AND PHILIP HUI LI
5 Play and Learning in the Early Years: Conflicting or
Complementing? 77
PHILIP HUI LI AND JENNIFER J. CHEN
6 Glocalization of Early Childhood Curriculum: Two Cases
of China 95
PHILIP HUI LI AND JENNIFER J. CHEN
7 Glocalization of Early Childhood Curriculum: Two Cases
of Hong Kong 113
PHILIP HUI LI AND JENNIFER J. CHEN
viii Contents
8 The Reggio Emilia Approach Interpreted or Misinterpreted
in Other Societies: The Case of the United States 131
JENNIFER J. CHEN AND PHILIP HUI LI
9 Early Childhood Curriculum: From Globalization and
Localization to Glocalization 152
JENNIFER J. CHEN AND PHILIP HUI LI
Index 159
List of Illustrations
Figures
3.1 The pendulum of educational reforms in the United States and
China 50
4.1 The timeline of the evolution of DAP 54
5.1 The multilevel, multidimensional, and multistage theory of
learning 83
6.1 Triangulation of assessing children’s learning outcomes 101
7.1 The framework of Apple Kindergarten’s SBC 116
7.2 The fishbone diagram of an example of SAIL implementation 117
7.3 An illustration of the type of Apple Kindergarten’s SBC 120
7.4 Triangulation of evaluation at Apple Kindergarten 121
Pictures
5.1 The three separate aspects of learning as symbolized by the
three blind individuals 83
5.2 Yin-yang: A metaphor for understanding the interrelationship
between learning and play 87
Tables
4.1 Comparisons across the four editions of the DAP books 58
6.1 School-based fusion of seven curricular models by SLK during
2000–2019 98
6.2 Daily routine 100
6.3 SEK’s class daily routine 106
7.1 A half-day routine of a K3 class at Apple Kindergarten 119
7.2 A half-day routine of a K1 class at Hope Kindergarten 124
7.3 A comparison and illustration of High/Scope’s daily routine
and Hope Kindergarten’s daily routine 126
