A phenomenological study: teachers’ experiences of using digital storytelling in early childhood education

This study investigates how early childhood education (ECE) teachers incorporated digital storytelling in their classrooms and the challenges and successes that they faced in the process. After the teachers attended a digital storytelling workshop, in-depth phenomenological interview, observation and focus group interviews were used to collect data. Phenomenal data were collected from 5 kindergarten classrooms, each of which contained approximately 20 students and a teacher. The study presented examples that illustrated how ECE teachers had used digital storytelling to enhance learning. The results showed that an emphasis on specific points may assist teachers, parents, educational researchers and education policy-makers in using technological tools in young children’s learning environments.     

论中国幼儿教育财政体制的重构

This paper presents a profile about the financial system of the early childhood education (ECE) in China. The problems discussed are related to (1) segmentation of Tiao and Kuai (some education institutions are directly administered by provincial governments, and some were affiliated to the relative administrative departments of the state), (2) inequality, (3) indistinct responsibility in investment of all levels, and (4) the challenge of reform. On the basis of the current situation in China, ECE and international experience, this paper aims at putting forward suggestions on how to reconstruct the financial system for ECE and also how to make relevant provision of laws and regulations to make various levels of governments, children’s parents, kindergartens and communities share economic responsibility of ECE. Translated from Jiaoyu Yanjiu Yu Shiyan 教育研究与实验 (Educational Research and Experiment), 2006, (2): 21–24     

政府财政投资幼儿教育的合理性——来自国外的教育经济学分析

我国自经济转型以来,政府财政投资幼儿教育的行为一直遭到部分人的质疑甚至反对.而国外教育经济学界已从幼儿教育的正外部效益和幼儿教育市场缺陷两方面,充分论证了政府财政投资幼儿教育的合理性,并运用经济学模型解释了政府财政投资幼儿教育可能出现的正反效果及作用机制.对此,我国应当予以借鉴.