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<p>This study examines cross-cultural patterns of child autonomy among preschool children in China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand from early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ perspectives. Using qualitative methods, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were conducted with 40 ECE teachers (10 from each country). Findings reveal distinct cultural pathways in the enactment of child autonomy. In China and Japan, autonomy was primarily constructed through collective decision-making autonomy, rule-based competence, relational harmony, rule-oriented learning, future-oriented habit formation, inhibited expression, and stability-oriented regulation. In contrast, in Australia and New Zealand, autonomy was mainly supported through expressive autonomy, self-expressive competence, emotional equality, exploration-oriented learning, immediate feedback, emotional openness, and adjustment-oriented integration. These patterns indicate that ECE teachers support preschool children’s autonomy through culturally structured practices, while national differences within each cultural grouping remain relatively subtle. To synthesise these patterns, the study proposes the Cross-Cultural Child Autonomy Framework (CCCAF), offering a culturally grounded framework for understanding autonomy in ECE.</p>

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Child Autonomy Across Cultures: ECE Teachers in China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月18日

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  • Boya Liu,
  • Chee Luen Loy,
  • Xiaoli Chang

摘要

This study examines cross-cultural patterns of child autonomy among preschool children in China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand from early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ perspectives. Using qualitative methods, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were conducted with 40 ECE teachers (10 from each country). Findings reveal distinct cultural pathways in the enactment of child autonomy. In China and Japan, autonomy was primarily constructed through collective decision-making autonomy, rule-based competence, relational harmony, rule-oriented learning, future-oriented habit formation, inhibited expression, and stability-oriented regulation. In contrast, in Australia and New Zealand, autonomy was mainly supported through expressive autonomy, self-expressive competence, emotional equality, exploration-oriented learning, immediate feedback, emotional openness, and adjustment-oriented integration. These patterns indicate that ECE teachers support preschool children’s autonomy through culturally structured practices, while national differences within each cultural grouping remain relatively subtle. To synthesise these patterns, the study proposes the Cross-Cultural Child Autonomy Framework (CCCAF), offering a culturally grounded framework for understanding autonomy in ECE.