Global Issues in Early Childhood Education at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia Bandung Toward World Class Education

Authors

  • M. Thontawi Sultan Thaha Saifuddin State Islamic University of Jambi, Indonesia
  • Kasful Anwar Us Sultan Thaha Saifuddin State Islamic University of Jambi, Indonesia
  • Fridiyanto Fridiyanto Sultan Thaha Saifuddin State Islamic University of Jambi, Indonesia
  • Sri Kadarsih Al Mujaddid Sabak Islamic Institute, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59535/sehati.v3i3.533

Keywords:

Early Childhood Education, Global-Local Integration, Holistic Learning

Abstract

This study explores the strategies and readiness of the Early Childhood Education (PAUD) Program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) in developing a global-standard education model rooted in local and national values. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through observation, interviews with educators and administrators, and document analysis at TK-KB-DC Lab UPI Bumi Siliwangi. The findings reveal that UPI’s laboratory school implements a contextual learning ecosystem by integrating child-centered pedagogy, holistic-integrative early education, and multicultural values, while incorporating national curriculum regulations. The learning environment fosters creativity, empathy, and independent thinking through thematic, play-based, and multisensory activities. Strategies such as the BKBB (Culture, National Character, and Play) model, international partnerships, digital learning integration, and active parent involvement highlight the institution’s adaptability to global education demands. This research concludes that UPI successfully builds a prototype of early childhood education that is globally competitive yet deeply rooted in Indonesian cultural and educational values, supporting the vision of World Class Education.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

N. F. Sabrani, R. A. Al haq, D. Maulidina, A. Agustin, and S. Saodi, “The Influence Of Ki Hadjar Dewantara’s Thoughts On The Independent Learning System And It’s Relationship To Early Childhood In Indonesia,” Dec. 09, 2024, Social Science Research Network, Rochester, NY: 5060683. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.5060683.

K. Thorpe et al., “Identifying predictors of retention and professional wellbeing of the early childhood education workforce in a time of change,” J Educ Change, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 623–647, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.1007/s10833-020-09382-3.

L. Ang, “Preschool or Prep School? Rethinking the Role of Early Years Education,” Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 185–199, Jun. 2014, doi: 10.2304/ciec.2014.15.2.185.

E. Pölzl-Stefanec, “Challenges and barriers to Austrian early childhood educators’ participation in online professional development programmes,” British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 2192–2208, 2021, doi: 10.1111/bjet.13124.

S. Aisyah and D. Novita, “Teachers’ perception of the implementation of project-based learning in early childhood education in Indonesia: Project-Based Learning: a perspective from Indonesian early childhood educators,” Cogent Education, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 2458663, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2025.2458663.

W. James Jacob, W. Xiong, and H. Ye, “Professional development programmes at world-class universities,” Palgrave Commun, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 15002, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.1057/palcomms.2015.2.

S. Lindeman, M. Svensson, and A.-B. Enochsson, “Digitalisation in early childhood education: a domestication theoretical perspective on teachers’ experiences,” Educ Inf Technol, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 4879–4903, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.1007/s10639-021-10501-7.

H. Li, H. He, W. Luo, and H. Li, “Early Childhood Digital Pedagogy: A Scoping Review of Its Practices, Profiles, and Predictors,” Early Childhood Educ J, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10643-024-01804-8.

K. M. Bartol and A. Srivastava, “Encouraging Knowledge Sharing: The Role of Organizational Reward Systems,” Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 64–76, Aug. 2002, doi: 10.1177/107179190200900105.

H. Lim and F. Kimura, “The Internationalization of Small and Medium Enterprises in Regional and Global Value Chains,” Jul. 29, 2010, Social Science Research Network, Rochester, NY: 1654304. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1654304.

L. Yuliani et al., “Bibliometric analysis of project-based learning in early childhood education: trends in empathy for disability and bicultural practices,” Cogent Education, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 2510092, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2025.2510092.

E. Hazelkorn and A. Gibson, “Global science, national research, and the question of university rankings,” Palgrave Commun, vol. 3, no. 1, p. 21, Nov. 2017, doi: 10.1057/s41599-017-0011-6.

V. Campbell-Barr and K. Bogatić, “Global to local perspectives of early childhood education and care,” Early Child Development and Care, vol. 187, no. 10, pp. 1461–1470, Oct. 2017, doi: 10.1080/03004430.2017.1342436.

H. Omdal and P. Roland, “Possibilities and challenges in sustained capacity-building in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions: ECEC leaders’ perspectives,” European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 568–581, Jul. 2020, doi: 10.1080/1350293X.2020.1783929.

W. R. Penuel, B. J. Fishman, R. Yamaguchi, and L. P. Gallagher, “What Makes Professional Development Effective? Strategies That Foster Curriculum Implementation,” American Educational Research Journal, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 921–958, Dec. 2007, doi: 10.3102/0002831207308221.

E. F. Sparapani, D. Callejo Perez, J. Gould, S. Hillman, and L. Clark, “A Global Curriculum? Understanding Teaching and Learning in the United States, Taiwan, India, and Mexico,” SAGE Open, vol. 4, no. 2, p. 2158244014536406, Jan. 2014, doi: 10.1177/2158244014536406.

Z. Waghid, “Teacher educators’ pedagogical practices in global citizenship education using the soft vs critical GCE framework,” Cogent Education, vol. 10, no. 2, p. 2251757, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2023.2251757.

J. D. Mensah, “Rethinking the contribution of creative economies in Africa to sustainable development. An empirical research of creative intermediaries in Accra’s contemporary art sector,” International Journal of Cultural Policy, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 551–568, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.1080/10286632.2025.2470814.

L. D. Feisel and A. J. Rosa, “The Role of the Laboratory in Undergraduate Engineering Education,” Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 94, no. 1, pp. 121–130, 2005, doi: 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2005.tb00833.x.

A. Gibb, “Exploring the synergistic potential in entrepreneurial university development: towards the building of a strategic framework,” Annals of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, vol. 3, no. 1, p. 16742, Jan. 2012, doi: 10.3402/aie.v3i0.17211.

A. B. P. Hasan and E. Suwarni, “Policies and Practices for Promoting Multicultural Awareness of Indigenous Early Childhood Education in Indonesia,” ICEP, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 63–94, May 2012, doi: 10.1007/2288-6729-6-1-63.

J. J. Chen, “Neoliberalism and neocolonialism in the mix: Evidence of glocalization in the globalization–localization dynamics of early childhood practices in Hong Kong,” Policy Futures in Education, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 1053–1081, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1177/14782103231171977.

M. J. Eppler, “A Comparison between Concept Maps, Mind Maps, Conceptual Diagrams, and Visual Metaphors as Complementary Tools for Knowledge Construction and Sharing,” Information Visualization, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 202–210, Sep. 2006, doi: 10.1057/palgrave.ivs.9500131.

M. I. Munandar and J. Newton, “Indonesian EFL teachers’ pedagogic beliefs and classroom practices regarding culture and interculturality,” Language and Intercultural Communication, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 158–173, Mar. 2021, doi: 10.1080/14708477.2020.1867155.

B. Malm, “Towards a new professionalism: enhancing personal and professional development in teacher education,” Journal of Education for Teaching, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 77–91, Feb. 2009, doi: 10.1080/02607470802587160.

Downloads

Published

2025-07-14

How to Cite

[1]
M. Thontawi, Kasful Anwar Us, F. Fridiyanto, and Sri Kadarsih, “Global Issues in Early Childhood Education at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia Bandung Toward World Class Education”, Soc. Econ. Hum. Aspects Town. Ind., vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 574–582, Jul. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 3 (2025): Socio-Economic and Humanistic Aspects for Township and Industry

Section

Short Communication

License

Copyright (c) 2025 M. Thontawi, Kasful Anwar Us, Fridiyanto Fridiyanto , Sri Kadarsih

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

All articles published in Socio-Economic and Humanistic Aspects for Township and Industry (Sehati) are made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Under this license:

  • You are free to:

    • Share — Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
    • Adapt — Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

  • Under the following terms:

    • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and provide a link to the license. You must indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.