The academics exchanged ideas with leading experts, teachers and practitioners engaged in early years education in China.
The visit marked the beginning of the Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education’s (CTEY) work to strengthen the expertise and experience of schools in China and build a model of effective Early Years (teacher) education pedagogy informed by the international understanding of best practice. The researchers also hope to develop a professional development programme to support continued and sustained teacher education programmes in Early Years.
During the visit, Dr Brooks and Dr Ince met leading academics from Beijing Normal University (BNU), East China Normal University (ECNU), Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences (SAES) and Shanghai Teacher Training Centre (STTC). They also visited kindergartens in Beijing and Shanghai to capture a picture about how kindergartens in Beijing and Shanghai look like.
Through attending workshops and seminars with Kindergarten headmasters and teachers, they deepened their understanding of the early years education in Beijing and Shanghai, including issues surrounding provision, admission, curriculum, environment, inclusion, routines, staffing and qualifications, the use of technology, early literacy, assessment, and parental expectations.
Dr Clare Brooks, Head of the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at the IOE and Director of Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education said: "We are delighted and honoured to be working together with such esteemed colleagues across China. It is our hope that the work we do, as part of the new Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education, will enable us to learn more about both Teacher Education and Early Years Education that will be of benefit to many children and families in both England and China, and beyond!"
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