This book presents previously unexamined connections between teaching practices and specific philosophical ideas, locating the prior beliefs and practical knowledge of early childhood practitioners in urban India within the broader social and historical religio-philosophical context.

A presentation of the unexamined connections between teaching practices and specific philosophical ideas

Preface Conceptualizing and Setting the Stage The Socio-cultural Context of Education in India: Core Concepts of Philosophy Underlying the Worldview of Indians Educational Systems in India: Past and Present Aims of Education Contextualized within Urban Indian Society The Image, Roles and Responsibilities of the Early Childhood Teacher in India The Image of the Child: What Is Developmentally and Socially Appropriate for Children Growing up in Indian Society? Learning to Teach: A Socio-cultural-historical Constructivist Theory of Teaching Contextualizing and Demystifying the Challenges of Large Class Size in India A Socio-culturally Constructed Early Childhood Postcolonial Curriculum: The Interfacing of Three Culturally Different Educational Discourses Aligning Teacher Education and Early Childhood Practice in India: Balancing Vygotsky and the Veda Reflecting on the Process of Early Childhood Postcolonial Research