The Sustainability of Early Childhood Education in Chinese Teachers’ Perspective: Evidence from a National Validation Study

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the sustainability of early childhood education (ECE) from Chinese teachers’ perspectives using a newly developed and validated instrument, the Sustainability of Early Childhood Education Rating Scale (SECERS). Altogether, 3636 teachers nationwide were randomly surveyed. First, analysis of the psychometric properties indicated that SECERS was a reliable and valid scale with three constructs: sustainability in ecology, sustainability in management, and sustainability in policy. Second, Chinese teachers positively evaluated sustainability in ecology but negatively evaluated it in policy. Third, latent profile analysis yielded the best-fit model with four profiles: low-, middle-, upper-middle-, and high-level profiles of teacher evaluations. Last, hierarchical regression analysis found that kindergarten quality grades played a key role in predicting the sustainability of ECE evaluation. The findings demonstrate the necessity of providing effective policy and management support to promote the sustainable development of ECE in China.

Research on the construction and optimization of the teaching model of kindergarten environment creation practice based on virtual simulation technology

“…In terms of environment creation, we should improve the physical environment and create a good atmosphere so that young children can move around in a comfortable and pleasant open environment and promote their independent and active exploration of the world. A good environment can bring pleasant physical and mental feelings to young children, and teaching in a happy and relaxed state can help improve the overall quality of young children and further develop early childhood education [19][20][21].…”

Special Issue: Sustainable Early Childhood Education for the Sustainable Development of Aging China

“…Understanding the sustainability of early childhood education programs in the era of the three-child policy was one of the central calls for this Special Issue. Contribution 1 opens this Special Issue with a national survey study aiming to explore the views of sustainable early childhood education in a group of 3636 Chinese teachers [3]. This study showed that the perceived sustainability of early childhood education has reached an acceptable level in China, and teacher ratings of sustainability in ecology were the highest, followed by sustainability of management and policy.…”

Development and Validation of Chinese Kindergarten Teachers’ Learning and Development Scale

“…The development goal of ECE was then upgraded to "popularizing the quality of ECE" by 2035 [3]. At present, the accelerated aging of the population and the corresponding Chinese "three-child policy" (wherein couples are allowed to have three children) that was implemented in 2021 pose a severe challenge to the sustainable quality development of ECE [4]. Kindergarten teachers' learning and development (TLD) plays a significant role in achieving teachers' sustainable development, which is key to meeting this challenge [5].…”