Within international policy discourses, the notion of “quality” early childhood education (ECE) remains a contested concept. More specifically, we employ Moss’s (2016) critique of global notions of quality, which underscores the inadequacy of universalist, static definitions of quality. Instead, we advocate for the recognition of the contextual, cultural, and locally shaped aspects of what people consider quality for their communities. To obtain locally shaped and grounded perspectives of quality, this study examined what is considered quality ECE among parents and teachers in Kenya (n = 10) and Nepal (n = 25). The following research questions guided the study: (1) What are parents’ and teachers’ perspectives on “quality” ECE for young children in Nepal and Kenya? (2) How do the understandings of parents and teachers regarding “quality” relate to and influence the United Nations (2015) Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4: “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all “) based on contextual educational practices? Data was gathered from focus groups and individual interviews using phenomenological and cross-cultural methods. Three members of the research team were from Kenya, one researcher was from Nepal, and one researcher was from the United States. Qualitative data showed evidence of conflicting parent and teacher expectations, a lack of consensus about what academic quality entails, and a preference for curricula aimed at a globalized society. Furthermore, data indicated that macro-level national and global ideologies tended to influence parents’ understandings of what quality in education entails, signifying a clear relation to SDG 4.
