Research Findings: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of Puhui kindergartens (PhKs), an innovative type of kindergarten proposed by the Chinese government as part of a 2010 national policy for the development of universal early childhood education, from the perspective of parents. Altogether, 28,732 Chinese parents, randomly sampled from PhKs nationwide, completed the Puhui Kindergarten Rating Scale. There were three main findings: (1) Chinese parents highly positively evaluated PhK quality but negatively evaluated the school financial allocation and educational compensation for disadvantaged children; (2) the latent profile analysis identified low-, medium-, and high-level profiles of parent evaluations, differentiated by their educational background, geographical area, kindergarten type, and monthly fees; and (3) a hierarchical regression analysis predicting PhK evaluation found that kindergarten type had a critical effect. Practice or Policy: The results suggest that a change in the financing structure and kindergarten system as well as more targeted strategies are necessary to promote equity in early childhood education in China.

Caring is a crucial aspect of early childhood education (ECE) and is an essential attribute possessed by kindergarten teachers. The sustainable development of ECE in aging China calls for the sustainable development of teachers’ caring. However, research into teachers’ caring in education for sustainable development in ECE has been scarce. This paper aims to emphasize a concern for the theme of caring in the sustainability of ECE and to provide a Chinese perspective on this topic. This study explored the path to promote the sustainability of teachers’ caring from the perspective of Chinese kindergarten teachers, based on an analytical framework of cognition, emotion, will, and behavior. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 Chinese kindergarten teachers. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA, qualitative data analysis software, and the descriptive analysis technique. Main themes were generated and then the views were aligned under the themes. Research shows that reading, leisure and art activities, cultural immersion, and mentoring practice can bring many benefits to the promotion of teachers’ caring. Continuous reading can awaken teachers’ caring conscience and promote the sustainability of caring cognition while sufficient leisure and art activities can generate their caring emotions and promote their sustainability. Cultural immersion can cultivate teachers’ caring beliefs and promote the sustainability of caring will while mentoring practice can shape teachers’ caring behaviors and promote their sustainability. The four paths cited above successfully helped teachers overcome the obstacles to caring that they faced and promoted their caring abilities. This study provides systematic paths for promoting the sustainability of kindergarten teachers’ caring and emphasizes their self-care as critical to ensuring teachers’ caring. The necessity of providing effective institutional and policy support to promote the sustainable development of teachers’ caring is suggested.

This study examined Chinese kindergarten teachers’ learning and development (CKTLD) using a newly developed and validated instrument, the CKTLD scale. Altogether, 1170 kindergarten teachers who were randomly sampled from ten provinces in China participated in the survey. First, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a seven-factor structure: motivation, information literacy, cultural literacy, reflection, career planning, teacher collaboration, and belief and mission, thereby indicating that the CKTLD scale was reliable and valid. Second, descriptive statistics showed that the overall status of kindergarten teachers’ learning and development was below average in China; meanwhile, the level of motivation ranked the highest, while that of information literacy and cultural literacy were lower. Third, hierarchical regression analysis revealed that job position and teaching experience were critical predictors of teachers’ learning and development, after controlling for personal and family factors. The findings indicate the necessity of reforming teacher education and providing school support to enhance kindergarten teachers’ learning and development. Further, this study broadens the research framework and provides a valuable tool with which to evaluate kindergarten teachers’ learning and development in China and other countries.

Research Findings: This study aimed to explore parental satisfaction with Puhui early childhood education (ECE) service in China using evidence from a national validation study. The Parent Satisfaction with the Puhui Early Childhood Education Service Scale (PES) was developed and validated with 4,134 Chinese parents, who were sampled using a stratified cluster sampling method. First, an examination of the PES’s psychometric properties indicated that it was a reliable and valid scale with three constructs: government responsibility, kindergarten responsibility, and children’s development. Second, descriptive statistics revealed that Chinese parents were generally satisfied with the Puhui ECE service, being most satisfied with child development and least satisfied with government responsibility. Third, latent profile analysis generated three profiles: low, medium, and high satisfaction parents. Fourth, hierarchical regression analysis found that kindergarten rating and urbanicity were significant predictors of parent satisfaction. Practice or Policy: The findings imply that more policy attention should be paid to the quality and fairness of the Puhui ECE. Moreover, this study extends the research on parent satisfaction with ECE services and provides useful tools to evaluate universal ECE services in China and beyond.