Early technology education in China: A case study of Shanghai

ABSTRACT

While Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is increasingly valued in China, there is little research to understand how science, technology, engineering, and math are best integrated into early childhood education. This study aims to examine Chinese educators’ views and perspectives on early technology education – ‘the missing T & E in early childhood’ – in Shanghai, the largest and the most developed city in China. Altogether, 120 educators were surveyed, including kindergarten principals (N1 = 12), administrators (N2 = 11), and teachers (N3 = 97), and three were also interviewed individually. The results indicated that: (1) most of the Shanghai kindergarten teachers were not literate in information technology; (2) children’s development levels, teachers’ technological literacy, and limited resources were widely regarded as obstacles to early technology education; and (3) the technology curriculum and digital technology should be carefully designed to cater to young children’s needs.

KEYWORDS:

• Early childhood
• STEM education
• technology

Notes on contributors

Jiayi Weng received an M.Ed. (Early Childhood Education) from the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. She now works in Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten, Shanghai. Her research focuses on early STEM education.

Hui Li, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education (ECE) at the University of Hong Kong, where he is the Program Director of the Master of Education (M.Ed.) and the Coordinator of the M.Ed. (ECE). His research interests include early Chinese literacy, developmental psycholinguistics, early childhood curriculum and pedagogy, and educational policy.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.