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This paper focuses on the inquiry-based curriculum in kindergartens, exploring its sources, characteristics, and relationship with other curricula. At the policy level, since 2001, documents such as the "Outline" and the "Guidelines" have emphasized the cultivation of children's inquiry spirit, promoting curriculum reform. At the practical level, it responds to the demand of "respecting children's nature", addressing issues such as the formalization of the curriculum and the insufficiency of teachers' and children's abilities. At the realistic level, with the practice of kindergartens' own curricula and the demand for high-quality development, this curriculum has emerged. Its characteristics include starting from problems, running through discussion, field visits, representation, investigation, and presentation, emphasizing the combination of children's active inquiry and teachers' guidance. Compared with the STEM curriculum, both emphasize interdisciplinary practice and problem-solving, with the former providing an inquiry framework for the latter. Compared with the theme activity curriculum, the former is a deepening of the latter, highlighting continuous inquiry and children's subjectivity.
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Research on Inquiry-based Curriculum in Kindergartens: Sources, Characteristics, and Relationship with Other Curricula
How to cite this paper: Xiaoyue Hu, Chen Fu, Ling Song, Hui Yin, Yuqing Wang. (2025) Research on Inquiry-based Curriculum in Kindergartens: Sources, Characteristics, and Relationship with Other Curricula. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 9(6), 1114-1118.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.06.011