A Case Study on Integrating Chinese Local Culture into Kindergarten Curriculum

Abstract

Local culture, stemming from the specific regional environments where children reside, varies significantly across different regions. It is widely acknowledged that kindergarten curricula should closely align with the everyday lives of children. Consequently, the integration of local culture into kindergarten education has emerged as a highly contested topic in various Chinese kindergartens in recent years. This study focuses on the efforts made by S Kindergarten in Z County, which has introduced cultural resource courses centered around white tea. Utilizing S Kindergarten in Z County as a case study, the researcher employed a combination of literature review, interviews, and observations to investigate the current state of construction and implementation of local cultural courses in this kindergarten. The research findings illuminate several critical issues: Teachers’ attitudes towards local culture misaligned with their understanding; The collection of local cultural resources lacks systematic organization; Children’s interests and needs overlooked in curriculum implementation; Limited diversity in course evaluations.