CRITICAL INTEGRATION OF ECONOMIC CONCEPTS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: PERSPECTIVES FROM EDUCATORS

Abstract

Economic education integration into early childhood education has gained significant attention globally. It resulted in a debate about whether these concepts should be integrated into early childhood education or higher grades. Accordingly, this study examines the perspectives of early childhood education teachers on the preferred economic concepts to be included in early childhood curriculum. The research study followed a positivist research philosophy and adopted a quantitative-deductive approach. Further, a random sample of 253 early childhood education teachers was selected from north of Jordan. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The results of the study revealed the significance of the integration of economic concepts into early childhood education. It put forward that incorporating economic concepts into early childhood curricula that focus on financial management, such as money-saving, investment, financial responsibility, and budgeting, fosters security, increase value, control expenses, and wisely uses resources. These concepts empower children to plan for the future, raise their economic awareness, and trigger the acquisition of financial skills. Moreover, findings revealed that such concepts integration in early childhood education enhances awareness about frauds, wise spending, coupled with informed financial decisions. Additionally, it also results in smart shopping, and understanding advertisements and financial technology to prevent fraud, achieve the best value, make informed decisions, and benefit from modern financial services. This study highlighted that integration of these financial concepts in early childhood education ultimately enhances children's understanding about financials and financial management. Accordingly, it is recommended that economics should be included in educational programs for children with a particular focus on saving, investing, financial responsibility, and financial awareness in school curricula, which will help children develop financial skills and prepare them to face future financial challenges.