The Evolution Of Early Education Methodologies In Algeria: A Comparative Analysis Of Teaching Guides For 2004 And 2025
Auteurs : Zergui Aicha .
Résumé
This article presents a comparative analysis of the two practical guides for preparatory education issued by the Algerian Ministry of National Education in 2004 and 2025 (the latter developed by the National Curriculum Council for preparatory classes operating under the shift system). Using contemporary theories of child development (Piaget, Vygotsky) and international early childhood frameworks as an analytical lens, the study employs qualitative content analysis to examine the two guides across five dimensions: (1) educational and philosophical foundations; (2) objectives and targeted competencies; (3) educational content and activities; (4) pedagogical roles (child, teacher, learning environment); and (5) assessment and educational follow-up. The results reveal that the evolution between the two guides is not a shift from transmissive to child-centred pedagogy — both texts are discursively child-centred — but a transformation in the nature of curricular guidance: from an expansive, theory-declaring document that entrusts educators with constructing learning situations, toward a lean, standardised operational guide that installs play as its foundational premise, scripts ready-to-implement activities across six learning domains, nationalises assessment through an indicator-based observation card shared with families, and responds to the challenge of universalising preparatory education under resource constraints. Implementation challenges nevertheless remain, including regional disparities in resources and infrastructure and gaps in teacher training. This analysis contributes to understanding how Algeria operationalises early childhood education reform within its local constraints, while acknowledging that classroom implementation requires further empirical research Keywords: Preschool curriculum; early childhood education; educational reform in Algeria; pedagogical guide; comparative education
Mots clés
Preschool curriculum; early childhood education; educational reform in Algeria; pedagogical guide; comparative education.
