The quality of classroom experiences in Chinese kindergarten classrooms across settings and learning activities: Implications for teacher preparation

Based on the observation of 180 early childhood classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), the researchers found Chinese teachers scored lower on instruction support quality compared to international colleagues. Researchers also examined Chinese teachers' quality of interactions across settings (i.e., whole-group teaching, free play, routine/care, and outdoor play) and activities (i.e., language, math and science, and others). Chinese teachers performed better in structured whole-group teaching and during language activities. Finally, researchers identified that no teacher-related variables except for their years of teaching were associated with classroom instructional quality. Discussions and implications for teacher education are provided.