Within the education academic arena, there is almost no established research on the alternative Waldorf (or Steiner) education movement in the US or UK. This primary research investigates Rudolf Steiner's philosophy of early childhood Waldorf education, and its child-centered and inclusive core. Ten kindergarten teachers in the US and UK educating…

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…

In this qualitative research study the researcher sought to identify effective elements of professional development that encourage technology adoption and purposeful technology integration by early elementary educators. Puentedura's (2014) Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) model served as the framework for the…

This study examined the influence of kindergarten teachers' orientations toward student-centered teaching and their influence on their students' understanding of addition. The study examined 120 students across 10 classrooms. Based on an interview and two classroom observations, 10 teachers were classified as either student centered or mainly…

Student-centered learning has an important place in education because it fosters student engagement and allows the traditional micromanaging teacher to transform into a guide. The current education model emphasizes teacher control and curriculum based on standardized testing, which stunts students' natural learning processes. This study…

Kindergarten has become increasingly academic in nature. One of the primary dilemmas arising from this shift is the tension between the use of developmentally appropriate practices and the obligation to teach academic standards. To gain a deeper understanding of how kindergarten is enacted in the evolving curricular landscape, we look beyond these…

This article reports on a learner-centered kindergarten music program at Gan Michael Kindergarten in Israel. Actual experiences with stories and pictures provide examples of young children engaged in music making as performers, composers, and analytical listeners. The stories include teacher thoughts and reflections, providing a model of teacher…

This article explores how infant school reform took hold in London's schools from the 1890s to the 1930s through examination of the work of two Froebelian head teachers, Elizabeth Mary Shaw and Frances Emily Roe. In contrast to teacher-led rote-learning methods and rigid discipline they implemented play-based activities drawing on children's…

This article discusses the outcome of the implementation of the Step by Step child-centered education model in Moldova. The implementation began with 12 classrooms of four-to five-year-old children in five kindergartens. The positive response from parents and teachers received at the end of the first year exceeded all expectations. As a result, 60…

This study is an attempt to grasp Mongolian preschool educators' perceptions on child-centered approach (CCA). CCA was externally introduced to Mongolia about 10 years ago as a diametrically different education from that of the socialist period. The study also aims to examine the differences that may exist among teachers in different types of…

To his article reports on two case studies of teachers' managing the challenges associated with gaining acceptance for child-centeredness curriculum practices in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. These teachers intended to respond to the newly published "Guide to the Preprimary Curriculum" (Education and Manpower Branch, 2006)…

The aim of this study was to examine how teachers in the Step by Step and traditional kindergartens assess their child-centred activities. 308 teachers participated in the study and a questionnaire was used. The results of the study showed that teachers in the Step by Step programme used a child-centred approach more in their work than teachers in…

This article describes the Dim Sum and Chinese Restaurant Project undertaken by 6-year-old kindergarten children in Hong Kong. The article discusses the importance of listening, observing, and documenting children's actions to meet their needs and interests. The kindergarten program that participated in this project is a nonprofit kindergarten…

Curriculum mapping has evolved as an invaluable communication, planning, and teaching tool. Using this dynamic method, educators can document what is being taught, what students are learning, how well they are learning, and how closely the curriculum reflects local and national standards. This lively, easy-to-use resource is a cohesive and…

This article profiles Toni Schweitzer, a parent who has a fantastic kindergarten program for her four-year-old twins. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the local community school where certified teachers and early childhood educators work side by side to offer a child-centred program that covers her entire working day. The program is…