Preschool pedagogy: A fusion of traditional Chinese beliefs and contemporary notions of appropriate practice

This chapter considers pedagogical practices in Hong Kong kindergartens. First, it addresses some macro-level changes which have influenced classroom practice. Second, it considers how professional knowledge about early instruction, educational policy and traditional cultural beliefs about learning have affected teacher-child interactions. Next, through the use of examples, the chapter illustrates current and emerging pedagogical practices in kindergartens and discusses the role of various culturalcontextual factors in shaping the form of early childhood pedagogy. Finally, it argues that a distinct Hong Kong-Chinese early childhood pedagogy is discernible from systematic observations of classroom practice