Cultural influence in curriculum remodeling of early childhood education in Bangladesh: an empirical study

Abstract

Children from three years to the age of five are considered pre-primary students when their emotional, social, cognitive, linguistic, and other skills are built and developed, which helped determine the future behaviors of a child. Children are heavily impacted by their surroundings and the people around them throughout this critical stage. In the 21st century, Bangladesh’s pre-primary education system has been heavily shaped and developed, following Western pedagogy. Parental aspiration remains a crucial path in developing the ECE curriculum in Bangladesh. The ECE curriculum is being remodeled under the influence of the national culture, considering the parental aspiration for the betterment of their children. Cultural components, such as customs, beliefs, social norms, regulations, and religions, have signifi-cantly influenced education. This study aims to investigate the pre-primary education system and identify the changing patterns influenced by culture globally and nationally. In this study, a mixed-methods approach has been employed for the data collected. This exploratory study used inductive reasoning to weave latest information into innovative ideas. Since the parental perspective varies in division wise needs and progress enhancement aspirations, the participants were selected from four divisional headquarters of Bangladesh: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rangpur. For the comprehensive development of cognitive and behavioral patterns, children must be exposed to the history and culture of the community by making the curriculum more engaging. Thus, a refined early learning through ECE has been vital to building a dynamic, economic, and strong nation for the future of Bangladesh.