Table of Contents

Introduction: Early Childhood Education Research and Practice in International Perspective. Bernard Spodek and Olivia N. Saracho; Early Childhood Education in Australia: Approaches, Issues, Policies and Research. Wendy Schiller; Contemporary Early Childhood Education and Research in China. Jiaxong Zhu and X. Christine Wang; How Finland is Researching Early Childhood Education. Mikko Ojala; Contemporary Perspectives in Early Childhood Education: The Case of Greece. Demetra Evangelou and Hara Cortessis-Dafermou; Research and Policy Issues in Early Childhood Care and Education in Japan. Yoko Shirakawa and Sachiko Kitano; Early Childhood Care and Education in Korea: Current State and Research. Unhai Rhee, Won Young Rhee, and Young-Ja Lee; A Global Perspective on Early Childhood Education: Characteristic Traits and Research in Norway. Ole Fredrik Lillemyr; Elementary Education in Poland: A Brief History and Current Research. Barbara Muraska; Research in Early Childhood Education in Portugal. Teresa Vasconcelos; Early Childhood Education Research in Spain. Miguel A. Zabalza; Early Childhood Education in Turkey: An Overview. Sevda Bekman; Early Childhood Education: An International and Contemporary Perspective. Bernard Spodek and Olivia N. Saracho; About the Authors.