Islamic preschool education in Sha Dian, Yunnan - China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia : a qualitative comparative case study

Abstract

Educating children with both religious and culture values in China has been a daunting task for many Muslim educators; and that too in instilling those values at a tender age. This dissertation has embarked on an arduous task of simply doing that by tracing the historical root of Chinese Muslims and their struggle in education within the various phases of changing loyalties and proffering a suitable program that meets the demands of both the religion and nation. Being a qualitative cross-case study the dissertation collates data through semi-structured and unstructured interviews that captured the views and aspirations of selected Islamic preschools in Sha Dian and Kuala Lumpur. By critically reviewing the programs, curriculum, pedagogy, the researcher has identified through comparative SWOT analyses the missing areas in the Islamic preschool program in China. In studying the Islamic preschool program the researcher has tried to understand the core Chinese values in the light of those that are found common in Islam and suggested useful changes to the curriculum to reflect the common values of Islam and China.