ERIC Number: EJ1258015
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0957-5146
EISSN: N/A
The Idea of Autonomy and Its Interplay with Culture in Child-Centered Education: Evidence from Practitioners in Preschools in Saudi Arabia
Rajab, Adaylah; Wright, Nigel
Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development, v40 n2 p174-187 2020
Using interview data, this paper explores issues which head teachers and teachers in a sample of Saudi kindergartens in Makkah face in implementing an adapted curriculum and pedagogy which appear to conflict with the local culture. The Saudi Self-Learning Curriculum for Kindergarten has been developed from Western models of child-centered education as a result of frameworks developed by the UNCRC, Education for ALL and UNESCO's 2015 Sustainable Development Goals program 2015-2030. The Saudi Government's 10th national development plan, entitled Vision 2030, aims to develop and diversify the country's human resources and reduce dependency on oil reserves by creating a knowledge economy. The curriculum reforms are a response to the demand for classroom pedagogies that are based on the principle of respecting children's rights. Consequently, the core objective of preschool learning environments is to work with children in ways that maximize "autonomy." This leads to a conundrum in local implementation since many of the central principles of Western early childhood education are contrary to fundamental Islamic positions. Yet equipping children with the skills they need to meet the demands of the twenty-first century is part of the government's stated aims for its educational reforms.
Descriptors: Personal Autonomy, Childrens Rights, Kindergarten, Young Children, Administrator Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Preschools, Foreign Countries, Curriculum Implementation, Sustainable Development, Islam, Knowledge Economy, Curriculum Development, Western Civilization, Ideology, Public Schools, Culture Conflict, Culturally Relevant Education, Student Centered Curriculum
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Saudi Arabia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A