What are children singing in kindergartens?: A cross-culture study

Project summary

Research has indicated that singing is beneficial for children’s development in different domains. However, there is a lack of research on what songs are sung in kindergarten and what role song-singing plays in ECE settings. This study aims to address the gap through a cross-cultural study in China and Norway. Data are collected in the form of documents, open-ended questionnaires, and follow-up interviews. The document reviews are to set the research in the context and to get the lyrics of the songs sung in the researched cultures while the open-ended questionnaires provide knowledge on what songs are sung and what role song-singing plays in ECE from kindergarten teachers’ perspective. Follow-up interviews are conducted for the purposes of probing and triangulation. Through investigating what songs are sung and what role song-singing plays in ECE, this research aspires to contribute to preservice and in-service teacher education on how to make good use of song-singing to enhance the development of kindergarteners.