Authors:Busra Kulakoglu, Yasar Kondakci Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeAs a borrowed concept, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education holds limited relevance in many country contexts. This study investigates how school administrators in Turkey view STEM education from three dimensions: (a) their understanding of STEM education, (b) their experiences of STEM implementations, and (c) their perception of their roles in STEM implementation.Design/Approach/MethodsThis phenomenological study analyzes the perceptions of school principals working in prominent high schools in Turkey.FindingsThe findings indicate that there are gaps in STEM implementation at both the conceptual level and the school level, including epistemological issues, infrastructural gaps, mismatch with overall organizational culture, and knowledge and skill gaps. Despite efforts to integrate STEM education into educational practices, significant deficiencies are making it an unrealistic practice in Turkey.Originality/ValueWhile the literature on STEM education is expanding, a few empirical studies focus on school management in relation to STEM education. Arguably, despite promising to transform science and mathematics teaching, STEM education appears to have limited relevance to science and mathematics teaching in Turkey—rendering it yet another example of concept and policy borrowing in education. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-06-17T06:19:47Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221107390
Authors:Rensijing Liu (刘任思静), Hongbiao Yin (尹弘飚) Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThis paper attempts to review and conceptualize how different scholars approach the research on teacher identity through the lens of three human interests defined by Jürgen Habermas.Design/Approach/MethodsThis literature review, guided by Habermas's three human interests, illustrates the characteristics of three different approaches to the inquiry into teacher identity.FindingsThis paper summarizes three approaches to researching teacher identity and their characteristics, namely the technical approach, the practical approach, and the critical approach. The implications for future research and teacher development are also discussed.Originality/ValueThrough incorporating Habermas's three human interests into teacher identity inquiries, this article offers a theoretical narrative review of the approaches to investigating teacher identity. Strengths and weaknesses of each approach as well as the possibility of a combined application of different approaches provide an original discussion on teacher identity research. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-06-17T06:19:32Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221106224
Authors:Yilmaz Soysal, Somayyeh Soysal Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThis study explores the relationships between the cognitive demands of the questions asked by a teacher educator (TE) and prospective teachers’ (PT) capacity for critical thinking (CT).Design/Approach/MethodsParticipants comprised a TE and 32 PTs. The cognitive demands of the TE's questions and PTs’ CT were analyzed using a systematic observation approach.FindingsResults indicate that there are tangible connections between the increasing mental demand of TE questions and PTs’ higher-order cognitive processing. The PTs achieved higher-order CT when the TE asked more cognitively demanding questions. For instance, when the TE's questions were pitched at the cognitive demand levels—namely, the analyze, evaluate, and/or create levels—the PT answers were longer and reflected higher CT, such as inductive reasoning, suggesting new ways of thinking, or legitimating the arguments of others. Accordingly, results suggest that intentionally subjecting PTs to sustained higher cognitive demands via questions may help them reach their optimal CT capacity.Originality/ValueAlthough proposed teaching strategies have been invaluable in proposing content-specific interventions for fostering the CT of university students, how lecturers should use their questions to conduct such interventions has been overlooked. This study addresses this gap. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-06-14T06:11:24Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221107028
Authors:Jan Jaap Rothuizen Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThis article provides an exploration of the internal relationship between ethics and pedagogy in early childhood education and care (ECEC). It aims at a clarification of the interrelationships between political and administrative government, the absence/presence of a pedagogical foundation, and the need for a code of ethics.Design/Approach/MethodsThe overall approach is hermeneutic and combines interpretations of a narrative research project, a review of recent developments in ECEC in Denmark, and the search for a theoretical conceptualization of a pedagogical foundation for ECEC.FindingsECEC as a pedagogical practice needs a pedagogical foundation. If a foundation is vivid and a clear reference for practice, a separate code of ethical conduct might be superfluous. Nevertheless, such a code can be indispensable if ECEC governance is outcome-oriented and reduces practice to technique.Originality/ValueThe study includes a discussion of the central European tradition for human science pedagogy and argues for the relevance of insights from this tradition in pedagogical foundations for ECEC. The study combines an empirical study of knowledge at play in ECEC and of specific developments in Danish ECEC with original philosophical, pedagogical, and conceptual reflections and results in a more precise indication of the relationship between ECEC government, pedagogy, and ethics. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-06-09T01:37:48Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221105526
Authors:Anitta Melasalmi, Tarja-Riitta Hurme, Inkeri Ruokonen Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThe new Finnish National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care (2018) strongly highlights pedagogical knowledge and practice, demanding teachers to develop their pedagogical thinking, evaluation, judgment, and operating culture. Since ethics is viewed as vital characteristics of the teaching profession, our objective is to make these complex ethical issues more visible to be subject to democratic discussion and change.Design/Approach/MethodsThe framework comprises a broad theory base of codes of ethics and professional codes of ethics of teaching. The research materials were national curricula of early childhood education and care (ECEC)- and preprimary education. The eight-step qualitative analysis process was applied to identify and shed light on the codes of ethics laying the foundations for purposeful and ethical early childhood education (ECE) teacher.FindingsThe results indicate that through both theoretical lenses, the Finnish ECEC curricula comprise several ethical codes. For the future purposeful ECE teachers as ethical professionals, the results raise questions for further discussion. Particularly, issues related to the ethics of care, intellectual freedom, inquiry stance, and professional competence, and diversity may further enhance our ECEC curricula.Originality/ValueDuring recent decades, the ethics concerning ECEC have gained increasing global attention. Particularly, there is a large international consensus considering ECEC as a prominent policy equalizing opportunities. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-06-01T05:49:18Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221103886
Authors:Gunnar Magnus Eidsvåg Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeCare is a core concern for early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions. Care may be understood as a basic form of interaction and a foundational need for human beings. For these reasons, care also presents challenges for ECEC staff. The staff must seek practical solutions to problems that philosophers have raised on a theoretical basis concerning ethical traditions, such as the ethics of care. These are the problems of justice, parochialism, and self-sacrifice.Design/Approach/MethodsThis article develops a theory concerning the ethics of care in ECEC institutions. The theory is informed by qualitative interviews with ECEC teachers reflecting on their caring practices. The study is therefore located at the intersection of normative ethics and applied ethics. In seven in-depth interviews, the informants discussed how to create a caring ECEC environment that is fair and possible to maintain over time.FindingsThrough analyzing the interviews, I found that caring practices that work toward these ideals can be described as sustainable care. These practices take care of all the children and provide the staff with opportunities to regain the strength they need to create a caring and educating setting.Originality/ValueThe theory this article develops makes ethics of care applicable and practically relevant to ECEC institutions. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-05-30T06:43:38Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221103281
Authors:Emily C. Helminen, Xiaoyan Zhang, Adam J. Clawson, Melissa L. Morton, Emily L. Cary, Samantha E. Sinegar, Pamela Janack, Joshua C. Felver Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeStress is a risk factor for poor educational achievement and health. Mindfulness-based programming (MBP) is a viable technology for reducing stress, and Mindful Stress Buffering theory suggests that the benefits of MBP will be most pronounced during periods of high stress. This research details a replication of the MBP “Learning to BREATHE” in a racially diverse urban public high school during a period of relatively low stress (i.e., absence of high-stakes testing).Design/Approach/MethodsFive classrooms (n = 66) were randomly assigned by classroom to MBP or typical educational programming. Socioemotional attributes were measured pre–post-intervention. Data were contrasted with results from the initial project that occurred during a period of high stress (i.e., the presence of high-stakes testing).FindingsResults indicate a failure to replicate significant intervention effects of MBP on socioemotional attributes. Results indicate that the original Felver et al.’s (2019) sample had higher self-reported stress than the current study's sample.Originality/ValueThese findings provide the first empirical data in support of the Mindful Stress Buffering theory among an adolescent sample, and this has implications for clinicians and researchers interested in utilizing MBP to support the wellbeing of student populations during other periods of high contextual stress (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic). Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-05-25T07:19:56Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221100563
Authors:Yu Jiang (蒋宇), Junjie Shang (尚俊杰), Lizhen Jiao (焦丽珍) Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThis study traces the development of China's online education policy over the past 20 years.Design/Approach/MethodsEmploying a textual research method, this study examines online education policymakers, policy content and influence, and related policies and regulations.FindingsThis study identifies the starting point of China's online education policy and divides its development into four stages: namely, the pilot exploration stage (1999–2002), the standard development stage (2002–2012), the transformation stage (2012–2017), and the governance improvement stage (2017–present). Policy development reflects three characteristics: the need to meet the requirements of the times, shifting from a single management to multiple governance approach, and developing from one object for some people to one object for everyone. Current policy focuses on regulating institutions, content, and products, as well as guiding social capital to participate in online education.Originality/ValueThis study systematically analyzes the development of China's online education policies, discerns policy characteristics, and identifies current policy priorities. In doing so, this study enhances our understanding of the current status and potential needs of online education in China so as to promote its development from the perspective of education policy and governance. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-05-18T05:08:25Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221099581
Authors:Will Brehm Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. • New media formats such as podcasts are revolutionizing the production and dissemination of knowledge in and outside of higher education. One danger is the rise of EdTech companies that have used the pandemic as an opportunity to increase profits as more individuals and systems of higher education rely on digital platforms and products.• This report explores the revolutionary potential of podcasts as an education technology that does not necessarily further the privatization of education. The case of the FreshEd podcast is highlighted.• The concept of “infrastructuralism” is used to show how an ethos of Open Science can challenge many explotative academic conventions and social relations. The main problem of a digital infrastructure that does not use the profit motive, however, is sustainable financing. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-05-09T11:49:12Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221094860
Authors:Congbin Guo, Zhuzhu Xu, Chenchen Fang, Bo Qin Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. We examined the results of a large-scale national survey of online secondary education in China. The online survey of 33,194 high school students and 5,667 teachers provides comprehensive and representative data regarding the quality of online education and its implementation during the pandemic.Questionnaire surveys of different grades and comparative analysis of different cohorts reflect the group heterogeneity of the online learning effect.The findings reveal the situation of emergency teaching in China during the pandemic and provides targeted suggestions for school education following the resumption of classes. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-04-07T12:34:15Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221089671
Authors:Iman Tohidian, Ali Khorsandi Taskoh, Abbas Abbaspour Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. One of the main shortcomings of the Iranian educational system is its focus on training students to succeed in different testing/assessment practices. In this regard, primary emphasis is still placed on memorization rather than learning dialogue, collaboration, tolerance, and life expectation for today’s globalized communities.Few voices from Iranian teachers have been heard in international publications. This study collected focused group interviews from 84 Iranian primary school teachers in Tehran, Shiraz, and Yazd.Findings show that the interviewed teachers agreed on the urgent curriculum changes, including English, Law, and Entrepreneurship in the primary teaching. Additionally, the educational focus should be broadened from the current emphasis on assessment from the early years of schooling. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-03-28T07:56:40Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221085980
Authors:G. Williamson McDiarmid, Yong Zhao (赵勇) Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeWe hope to provoke a conversation about preparing students for an uncertain future that unforeseeable technological innovations will transform in ways we cannot predict. The unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic makes this an opportune time to reconsider all dimensions of education.Design/Approach/MethodsWe present information on how technology is transforming virtually every aspect of our lives and the threats we face from social media, climate change, and growing inequality. We then analyze the adequacy of proposals for teaching new skills, such as 21st-Century Skills, to prepare students for a world of work that is changing at warp speed.FindingsDespite harbingers of a radically different future, most schools continue to operate much as they have for centuries, providing a one-size-fits-all education. Technology now enables an unprecedented degree of personalization. We can tailor learning opportunities to individual students’ interests, talents, and potential with teachers serving as guides, resources, and critical friends. The Internet presents a cornucopia of learning opportunities—online courses, international experts, global collaborations, accessible databases, and libraries. Learning can occur virtually anywhere.Originality/ValueThe future depends on decisions we are making today about education. The value of the article is that we call for rethinking every component of education rather than considering each element independently. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-02-23T02:45:49Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221076493
Authors:Mengyu Feng (冯梦雨) First page: 219 Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThis paper aims to explore the potential of the drama pedagogy that may contribute to primary children's moral growth in the Chinese educational context. It argues that drama may offer an ensemble-based, dialogic, and narrative pedagogy for teaching morality to complement the didactic traditional model.Design/Approach/MethodsThe methodological approach is that of case study research, using different methods to assess the effects and effectiveness of the author's teaching. The fieldwork was undertaken in a public primary school in Beijing, in which the drama workshop The Boat was taught to 16 children on a voluntary basis.FindingsThe study demonstrates that drama can be seen to some extent to assist pupils in aspects of their empathetic attitudes, dialogic thinking abilities, and autonomous thinking capacities.Originality/ValueThe author hopes the study might stimulate more and deeper research in similar contexts and that this may further extend the understanding of Chinese teachers of this resourceful new pedagogy. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-04-08T05:57:13Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221089674
Authors:Xin Luo (落鑫) First page: 242 Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeDuring the past decades, China has seen a rapid urbanization which has (re)shaped not only its city landscape but also (re)created public space where children live, play, and learn. However, little research has focused on how urban public space influences young children's learning and development and how parents navigate children's development in the public space. Therefore, this research aims to study how public space influences parents’ engagement with their young children.Design/Approach/MethodsThis study is informed of Bronfenbrenner's Processes, Person, Context, and Time (PPCT) model which sees children's learning as complex and multilateral interactions among various stakeholders including schools, families, and environment. It employed ethnographic approach to study the interactions between children and their parents in a public playground in a Western Chinese city.FindingsIt found that parents realized public space had been reshaped by urbanization. While they accompanied their children to play, they actively monitored children's safety and cultivated children's physical and social development. In this process, male parents tended to contribute more than they would do in other settings.Originality/ValueThis study fills the gap by providing a nuanced study exploring how parents fulfill their responsibilities in an integral space of children's development which has rarely been explored. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-03-17T07:16:44Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221084116
Authors:Najwa Alhosani First page: 284 Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThis article provides an overview of how childhood curriculum in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is designed to serve cultural values.Design/Approach/MethodsThe framework of kindergarten curriculum adopts the uniqueness of children laying the foundation for their cultural identity. This paper provides a description of how this is achieved through a case study of the kindergarten curriculum in the UAE.FindingsThe core elements of Emirati culture are delivered in the early childhood education (ECE) curriculum, which is influenced by global practices. Islamic studies is a key component in the Emirati kindergarten curriculum, which is designed to help children practice principles of religion, with the main Islamic values of gratitude and charity as aspects that are deeply embedded. Similarly, through social studies, children learn about Emirati heritage and culture. In addition to exposure to world communities, the learning experience engages children in authentic stories that relate to their personal lives, families, and community to build national awareness.Originality/ValueThis paper sheds light on ECE in the UAE. Although the topic is of interest to UAE policymakers and educators and the global audience interested in UAE education, there is no study to the researcher's best knowledge that has examined the influence of the UAE culture on ECE curriculum. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-03-25T05:32:47Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221085984
Authors:Weipeng Yang (杨伟鹏), Hui Li (李辉) First page: 299 Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. PurposeThis article presents a scoping review of the internationally published research on the early childhood curriculum (ECC) reforms, policies, measures, and effectiveness in China and Singapore, to explore the joint and interactive effects of globalization and localization in ECC in two different contexts.Design/Approach/MethodsWe reviewed and analyzed the chosen studies with a multilevel curriculum framework: formal curriculum, perceived curriculum, operational curriculum, and curriculum ideology.FindingsThe synthesis of evidence indicated that in both China and Singapore (1) a constructivist orientation is relied upon to construct the formal curricula; (2) the perceived curricula have been heavily influenced by the indigenous values and contextual realities; and (3) the Western ideology embedded in the formal curricula has not been realized, as reflected in the operational curricula.Originality/ValueThe phenomenon of curriculum hybridization has been scrutinized to explain these findings regarding curriculum ideologies and practices. As confirmed by the findings and theoretical explanations, the 3CAPs framework (culturally, contextually, and child-individually appropriate practices) can be employed to guide the development of ECC in policies and practices. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-04-04T08:58:40Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221092036
Authors:Jennifer J. Chen First page: 328 Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. • This commentary centers on one of the insightful articles in this Special Issue: “Curriculum Hybridization and Cultural Glocalization: A Scoping Review of International Research on Early Childhood Curriculum in China and Singapore,” authored by Yang and Li (2022).• The commented article provides insights and directions regarding early childhood curriculum policy and practice in China and Singapore.• Aligning with Yang and Li’s (2022) findings, this commentary further paints a new three-component framework (the foreground, the background, and the middle ground) for understanding and harmonizing the global–local dissonance in the early childhood curriculum landscape.• Leveraging both hindsight and foresight, this commentary also provides insights for policy and practice to advance a harmonious early childhood curriculum landscape in China and Singapore as well as in other societies confronted with similar predicaments. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-04-08T05:57:31Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221092035
Authors:Tian Baohong (田宝宏) First page: 368 Abstract: ECNU Review of Education, Ahead of Print. HighlightsThe ideas of Zhong (中) have profound cultural implications beyond the Chinese character of Zhong (中) in traditional Chinese culture. This study explores the philosophical significance of Zhong for education.This study is based on the textual research of the original meanings of Zhong, its wisdom, and explanations of Zhong philosophies in Chinese rites and music culture as well as various schools of thought, including Yi-ology, Confucianism, and Daoism.Zhong has significant influence on the ancient Chinese concept of education, and its views on the field of education coincide with many contemporary educational views.Studying the educational and philosophical significance of Zhong provides important guidance and reference for current basic education reforms. Citation: ECNU Review of Education PubDate: 2022-03-21T08:48:29Z DOI: 10.1177/20965311221085985
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