The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into early childhood education (ECE) presents transformative possibilities but raises urgent ethical challenges that demand immediate attention. This scoping review examines 42 studies to explore key ethical concerns in four interconnected areas: data privacy, impacts on child development, algorithmic bias, and regulatory frameworks. Findings reveal significant gaps in safeguarding children’s sensitive data, with inadequate protections against breaches, profiling, and misuse. Emotional AI tools, such as social robots and emotion-recognition technologies, offer novel learning opportunities but risk undermining relational learning and fostering overreliance, manipulation, or loss of autonomy. The lack of developmentally appropriate design in AI systems further exacerbates these risks, failing to align technological solutions with the unique needs of young learners. Algorithmic bias, driven by non-representative datasets, perpetuates systemic inequities, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities and eroding fairness. Regulatory frameworks are fragmented and inconsistent, often lacking provisions tailored to the vulnerabilities of children or mechanisms for global enforcement. To address these challenges, this study highlights the urgency of establishing global frameworks that prioritize transparency, data minimization, and cultural inclusivity. Engaging educators, parents, and children in participatory governance is essential to align AI design with developmental needs and uphold children’s rights. These findings underscore the need for immediate and sustained efforts to ensure that AI systems in ECE foster equitable and ethical learning environments, safeguarding the well-being of young learners while advancing innovation responsibly.

Research Findings: This study aims to validate a scale highlighting the applicability of selected TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) domains of knowledge to early childhood education and to explore the internal relationships between TPACK’s components in the Chinese context. A survey instrument was designed and administered to 1,192 early childhood (EC) in-service teachers enrolled in their national training programs. The instrument consisted of 29 items classified into four categories that align with the conceptual TPACK framework and are applicable to the EC context, including Technology Knowledge (TK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and TPACK. CFA and path analysis generated a model with good fit. The confirmed model indicated that (1) TK, TPK, and PK were significantly correlated; (2) TK, TPK, and PK all had direct positive effects on TPACK; however, (3) PK had a smaller influence on TPACK. Practice or Policy: The instrument was a reliable and valid assessment for measuring the TPACK of Chinese EC teachers and may be used to inform future research. The findings suggest that ECE training should shift away from focusing on discrete technological skills (i.e., TK) and instead emphasize preparing teachers with mastery in pedagogic approaches for integrating digital technology into instruction.

This article explores current public perceptions in Ghana about the National Literacy Acceleration Programme (NALAP), a mother tongue-based bilingual medium of instruction (MTB-BMoI) policy for early childhood education. The researchers conducted an exploratory study of public reactions towards the Minister for Education’s statement on revamping the program made at the Shared Prosperity Forum held in Accra, Ghana. The article includes an overview of the history of early childhood education language of instruction (LoI) in Ghana and the rationale for the NALAP. Conversations with education officers and parents about their views on the NALAP were analyzed. The findings reflect strong negative feelings about the program among many Ghanaians who express a preference for English-only LoI. The paper discusses the importance of bilingual LoI in early childhood as well as the need to obtain public support, especially among parents, to facilitate full implementation of the program in Ghana. Recommendations for public engagement are proposed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way young children engage in peer communication. The aim of this study was to explore how young children engaged in peer interaction remotely by examining young children's multimodal interactions during the pandemic. Visual and audio data posted to Douyin (China's most popular live-streaming site) between January 23, 2020 and May 6, 2020 were collected and analyzed. Mediated discourse analysis was used to explore young children's remote interactions as captured on video recordings. Results support the critical role of play materials and tangible tools in mediating young children's peer interactions and participation in remote environments.

Research Findings: This study examined the financial literacy of 5 and 6-year-old children in Shanghai, including their understanding of financial concepts and their preference for and ability to use digital payment methods. Using a mixed-methods research design, a sample of children ranging in age from 62 to 73 months completed multiple tasks to assess their financial literacy and participated in a semi-structured interview. The results suggested that most young Chinese children had a basic understanding of coins and their value, but there was variation in their perceptions of the need to provide change after making a payment. The majority of young children preferred to pay with digital devices and had a positive attitude toward mobile payments, although some children expressed concerns about their ability to use this method accurately. Practice or Policy: The study findings suggest that perceptions of financial literacy may vary across families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. These results lay the groundwork for future digital financial literacy rating scales or behavior coding studies based on the initial findings of young children from middle-income families. The study also emphasizes the importance of providing formal and informal financial education to young children, particularly in regards to digital literacy, in order to prepare them for the future.