A comparative analysis of early childhood education programs and practices in China and Turkey within the context of inclusion

This study aims to compare preschool education curricula and practices in China and Turkey within the context of inclusive education. In the curriculum section, the Chinese Preschool Education Guidelines, the Current Turkish Preschool Education Program, and the Türkiye Century Maarif Model were examined. Regarding the implementation of inclusive education, the opinions of 30 Chinese and 30 Turkish preschool teachers working in various regions of China and Turkey were analyzed. Adopting a horizontal approach—one of the comparative education methods—this qualitative study employed document analysis for the examination of preschool education programs. For the section on the implementation of inclusive education, a structured interview form was developed and data were collected online. The collected data were analyzed through open coding using MaxQda software. According to the findings, the most emphasized themes in the Chinese Preschool Education Guidelines, the Current Turkish Preschool Education Program, and the Türkiye Century Maarif Model are the promotion of equal opportunities and the collaboration between family, community, and school. The least emphasized themes, however, vary depending on the program. When examining the findings related to practice, it was observed that Turkish preschool teachers, unlike their Chinese counterparts, perceive the support provided to themselves and to disadvantaged children as insufficient, expressing a need for more regular and systematic support. Moreover, while family and community collaboration in preschool institutions is found to be significantly high in China, it appears to be relatively low in Turkey.