Early Childhood Education in Context - Historical Foundations and Curriculum

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. This course explores the history and curricular approaches of early childhood education (ECE) with a primary focus on the United States, while situating developments in early childhood education within broader international contexts. Students will trace the evolution of ECE from its philosophical and global roots through key U.S. milestones that are influenced by sociohistorical events, research trends and policy directions. Emphasis will be placed on how social, cultural, political and economic forces have shaped both policy and practice, as well as how international models have unfolded and how they have influenced U.S. approaches. Through critical analysis of historical movements, landmark programs, formative research and enduring debates, students will gain tools to interpret and apply historical perspectives to current issues in early childhood education and curriculum design and consider how early childhood histories shape current practices and experiences. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.