"Preschool in Three Cultures"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the function of pre-schools in Japan is to produce "childlike children"; in China, to reduce the effects of spoiling and, in the U.S., to make children more independent and self-reliant. The author points out that cultural values are reflected in the education philosophies of each school; therefore, in Japan, the school believes in raising children to be successful adults by emphasizing their efforts instead of their inborn abilities; in China, selflessness and collectivism are promoted and, in the United States, the child is viewed as an individual. The paper relates that culture influences teacher-child interaction: In Japan, children learn self-control best from their peers rather than from their teachers; in China, it is the teacher's job to rein a spoiled child and, in the U. S. preschool, the teacher-child relationship is characterized by the teacher's encouragement of a child's activity.

Table of Contents
Research Intentions
Research Methods
The Function of the Preschool in Each of the Three Countries
The Curriculum of each Preschool and how it is Influenced by Culture
Cultural Values Reflected in the Educational Philosophy of Each School
Cultural Influence on Child-Child and Teacher-Child Interactions

From the Paper:

"Similarly, the authors admit to their own cultural biases when standing behind the camera. The American team members tended to focus their observations on two or three children in each class, with a particular emphasis on those children who were misbehaving or highly verbal. While they intended this focus to make their videos "more interesting and accessible to viewers," they recognize that their behavior mirrors that of American preschool teachers, who often concern themselves with how best to allocate their time. On the other hand, their Chinese team members had a stronger inclination to video larger groups of children and shift their focus away from individual behavior."

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