From Finland to New Zealand. The arts in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This article analyses and compares the approach to Art Education in both the Finnish and New Zealand/Aotearoa Early Childhood Education curriculums, two internationally recognised syllabuses. Our objective is to examine the commonalities between these two curriculums with an aim to identify good practices in the development of an artistic education in early childhood. For this purpose, we will carry out a mixed documentary analysis, using a comparative approach based on two constructs that are grounded within our theoretical framework: the place of Art in the curricular structure and the meaning of Arts Education. Through this analysis we will examine the diverse arguments and meanings coherent within the socio-constructivist paradigm and demonstrate the importance of our need to adapt curriculums to a local context. Ultimately, the results will outline that Art and Culture occupy a clear, relevant and transversal role in the curriculum.