1 Introduction

Early Childhood Education (ECE), also known as pre-school, pre-kindergarten, childcare, or nursery school, is the period when children's physical development, mental growth, emotional well-being, and cognitive skills mature under the guidance of their parents and other family members, who are the child's primary institutions, as well as through schools with appropriate ECE curricula and friends. ECE is akin to a program that teaches young children the skills they might need to deal with diverse environments. ECE is also called holistic development because it focuses on the social and behavioral standards, emotional well-being, cognitive development, and physical development required for children to ensure their learning and well-being [1]. According to standard definitions, early childhood is between birth and turning eight [2]. These years are a period of rapid progress as the development of the brain is at its optimum [3, 4]. What happens in the initial years of a child can set them up for subsequent success, including better mental and physical health, higher educational accomplishment, and many more. Children are the future of a nation. An inclusive curriculum is needed to ensure proper growth. ECE is a child's first formal education at the beginning of their academic life. In their early childhood, children's brains are highly responsive to many environmental factors around them [5,6,7]. They learn and understand complex ideas and behaviors by observing their surroundings. A child's well-being and performance in later educational and life phases depend on their ability to acquire fundamental abilities, such as language development, problem-solving, critical thinking, and social relationships, which ECE helps them do. ECE is always critical to younger generations' growth, significantly influencing children's futures. There is no other best medium to acquaint children with their heritage and culture than ECE. Thus, enrolling in the ECE is crucial for children to contribute to their fundamental rights.

ECE has been given attention worldwide, and many activities in the curriculum have been included by researching which activities would benefit the children and help them develop mentally and physically since none of the approaches to providing education to children have been proven effective. Many countries have included play-based learning as a significant yet delightful and voluntary activity in pre-primary education where children can grow and learn essential abilities such as leadership, communication skills, problem-solving capabilities, and many more [8]. It is to be mentioned that the history behind the pre-primary schooling of children was initiated and implemented by the contribution of some great intelligentsias from the 1600 s to 1900s like- John Comenius, John Locke, Robert Owen, Friedrich Froebel, and many more [9]. The approaches of individualism, organized environment and curriculum, child development, the Montessori method, and many more pre-primary educational procedures were initiated and implemented effectively. Even in this 21st era, many approaches have been re-evaluated and adequately implemented to a child’s needs.

According to the 2008’s operational framework of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education in Bangladesh, 14.6% of 3- < 6-year-old children got enrolled in pre-primary education [10]. Its’ target was ensuring pre-primary education for all children whose age limit was between three and six years. Another study shows that in 2010, almost 50% of 5–6-year-old children received this pre-primary course for one year from government and private schools, including NGO-conducted schools [11]. According to a recent report, 95% of newly nationalized primary institutions and 99% of primary public institutions provide pre-school learning [10]. Nevertheless, the environment and the pedagogies followed by the pre-primary schools of Bangladesh have failed to provide adequate and friendly education to children. There remains a scarcity of materials and efficient teachers, impediments to following better pedagogy, and other causes. The parents' lack of interest in engaging their children in the pre-primary institutions also works as a negative approach towards the development of the institutions. According to Rashid and Akkari [10], 44% of classes in pre-primary education institutions were clean and good.

Further, 11% use rooftops and tin-sheds or are not positioned well. 39% of classes had no materials. 29% had drawing or painting materials, 34% had physical exercise items, and 36% had toys. 12 percent of them had singing and dancing materials. Besides, 86% of Madrassas had no materials. Therefore, the overall situation of the pre-primacy institutions should be remodeled for the betterment of the children. Organizations like BRAC, FIVDB, MOCWA, and Action Aid are continuously trying to support this sector [10].

It is essential to develop ECE-based programs in Bangladesh. ECE increases possibilities for underprivileged children as the government and many NGOs are coming forward to help them. Most do not get a better education, so development in this sector might significantly help improve them. The demand for quality ECE programs is essential in the current context. ECE reduces the stress of childcare for working mothers and fathers. Teachers try to tutor these students in interactive ways in classes. Parents can rely on courses and teachers if children learn so much from ECE. It contributes to the enrichment of impoverished children's learning and caring surroundings. They start interacting with people, socializing, and learning norms and manners. The early learning period determines a child’s next step. It is easier to teach them new things in a proper way. It lowers crime, decreases involvement in child labor, improves educational attainment, and increases social participation [12]. However, in most cases in Bangladesh, parents are more cautious about providing their children with the best educational care in pre-primary schooling. During this phase of life, children build and develop their emotional, social, cognitive, linguistic, and other skills, which help determine the future behaviors of a child [1, 13, 14]. As per UNESCO, ECE should get proper attention and investment to increase the quality of teaching because it is regarded as the foundation for children [15, 16].

In Bangladesh, the education system has undergone various changes to ensure a healthy and enjoyable environment and to develop children as the rising human resources of the country. However, a few years ago, the education scenario in Bangladesh was such that several parents were strict with education generation after generation, being careless of children's playful and co-curricular activities, hampered them from growing appropriately mentally and physically [8]. Similarly, many parents needed to be more cautious and confused about the pre-primary education of a child, later admitting them directly into the primary schools, which forced them to learn and memorize the subjects being taught in the school. Thus, the burden became unbearable for many children; this discouraged and created monotony in education, causing dropouts. Nevertheless, in the twenty-first century, Bangladesh's pre-primary education system has been heavily turned to play-based learning followed by Western pedagogy [17]. As in Western countries, play nurtures children's development and learning behaviors, practices, skills, and understandings [18,19,20]. ECE Policy initiative has been taken recently by the Ministry of Education for the betterment of the children's learning environment and a successful and enjoyable transition period before going to primary school so that children can be encouraged to learn more and gain the necessary abilities beforehand [21]. The popularity of this initiative ran throughout the country. Most pre-primary schools provide children with academic education focusing on play-based learning and developing co-curricular activities. Nowadays, parents are also conscious enough to admit their children to early childhood schooling before entering primary education. Thus, considering the need for ECE for children, family policies must be remodeled too. Parents must be educated on pre-primary education and its necessities. The government should ensure the availability of flexible parental leave to spend more time with their children at an early age and provide quality daycare support for working parents. Community-based daycare centers can be an alternative solution to the formal ECE to provide children with structured activities and a safe growing environment.

Culture plays a crucial influence in remodeling the ECE program. A country's culture can be described as its people's shared practices, beliefs, and way of life. It is composed of a particular social group's shared values and beliefs. Cultural norms significantly influence education, followed by educational institutions' teaching and learning techniques. From birth, culture impacts our flourishment significantly and continues to influence our lives. Culture tends us to think about the beliefs that society follows, tends us to follow the values and norms of a country, binds us to use the national language in every sector, and influences us to celebrate the customs and festivals of a country or society. An educational approach known as "culture-based" focuses on teaching students about a particular culture's core values and norms rather than merely introducing them to current information. Understanding multiple cultures creates a path of positive flourishment for a child, such as how self-assured they become as adults or how appropriately they interact with others. The impact of cultural on the ECE program can be used to adjust the curriculum and include new ways of creating an engaging curriculum for a country's students. Refining early learning incorporating cultural influence through ECE is vital to building a dynamic, economic, and strong nation for the future of Bangladesh. Thus, this study aims to identify the cultural influence in remodeling the pre-primary education system and the changing patterns influenced by culture nationally and internationally. This study incorporates a mixed-method approach to facilitate the objectives of the paper. Although the article has some limitations regarding the extensive research in this sector and sample size analysis, the paper significantly contributes to the government, stakeholders, policymakers, and further research applications.

2 Research methods

This study has adopted a mixed-methods approach, including triangulation methods (interview and survey with a semi-structured 5-point Likert scale), observation, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and document analysis to address the research questions. Kohlbacher [22] pointed out that the mixed-method approach helps people understand the world's experiences and structure. The case study method was used with partially descriptive statistics.

This study has used a mixed-methods technique to obtain an objective perspective and comprehensive insight into the importance of culture in the curricula, the engagement of parents, and the selection of schools. The ultimate objective of this method is to reinforce and broaden the study's conclusions by fusing qualitative and quantitative research components. This study follows the triangulation approach of the mixed method. This strategy addresses the same phenomenon through the independent collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Afterward, the findings are later converged by comparing the outcomes while interpreting.

The study's quantitative data, such as parents with children admitted and eligible for admission to ECE principals' and teachers’ responses, were gathered using random sampling. This study's contact technique was based on snowball sampling to gather responses from government stakeholders and specialists. This technique included existing respondents to solicit new volunteers via their networks [23]. After receiving their identities and contact information from other respondents, the researchers contacted them. The survey followed a theme-based structure, starting with basic questions on the parents' perceptions regarding the ECE schools and their curriculum. Quantitative and qualitative data have been equally crucial throughout the study, and both were collected consecutively and in parallel. Firstly, the qualitative data were collected and arranged to gain clear and comprehensive insight. Secondly, the quantitative study analyzed the supply and demand side issues for implementing cultural introductions to ECE programs.

2.1 Sampling

Applying random sampling, the sample size for the quantitative part was 256, and the qualitative sample size was 24 which have been collected from the selected four major divisional cities in Bangladesh- Dhaka, Chittagong, Rangpur, and Khulna to comprehend demand and supply-side issues. For the quantitative data, regarding the number of eligible preschoolers from the date of the Pre-Primary Education Expansion Plan (2012), the researchers considered Dhaka and Chittagong as having the country's highest enrolment rates and Rangpur and Khulna as the average enrolment rates for sampling area. The researchers randomly selected eight families whose children were enrolled in the ECE, and those who would enroll their children in ECE were selected from each division. Considering the budgetary limitations, the sample size of eight families is appropriate for the study. To choose the participants, two units were chosen- urban and rural and the families were chosen, four from urban and four from rural areas, to balance the participants' perceptions. Table 1 shows the data sampling areas for quantitative data collection.

Table 1 Sampling for quantitative data
Full size table

As for the qualitative part, 16 teachers, two from each entity, were selected randomly. As for the government officials and specialists, five officials and three specialists were chosen via the snowball sampling method (Table 2).

Table 2 Detailed sampling of the research
Full size table

2.2 Socio-economic status of the household respondents

The number of family members and the household's average monthly income has been included in two tables to help readers understand the respondent family's social and economic situation. First, it can be seen from Table 3 that the P50 (50th Percentile) for the number of family members is 4, showing that four people make up many households. This demonstrates that if individuals wish to have a balanced life, their average monthly income should be respectable.

Table 3 Average number of family members in the respondent's household
Full size table

According to Table 4, the proportion reveals that the highest number of households falls between BDT 20,000 and 30,000 in the income group, which illustrates the respondents' families' average socio-economic standing. Only 11.3% of respondents, or households with annual incomes of BDT 40,000 or more, fall into the high-income category.

Table 4 Percentage of monthly family income of the respondent household
Full size table

2.3 Source of data and methods of data collections

Secondary and primary data sources were utilized in the research to understand the influence of cultural components and social agents in the ECE setting. This study used a survey research technique, semi-structured and structured questionnaires designed to collect primary and qualitative data from the participants. IBM SPSS Statistics 25 was used to analyze the data obtained from these surveys. The research used the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate the relative importance of the various performance indicators. Global priority weights were used to compute the indicators' indices. To further comprehend the influencing aspects, descriptive statistics analysis was employed by determining frequency percentage, mean, and standard deviation to determine what motivates parents to select schools for their children and what motivates the government's initiation behind restructuring the curriculum. The statistical mean analysis indicated the significant preferences the participants wished to have, and the standard deviation was calculated to investigate how scattered the collected data were in correlation to the mean. The statistical analysis might be significant in measuring the parents' mental perception for choosing a school, the extent to which they think about the importance of cultural pedagogy in school learning approaches, and the government’s pressure to remodel the ECE curriculum in Bangladesh. It was essential to do a stakeholder analysis to comprehend the organizations and entities associated with the ECE sector and the ministry.

The researchers considered Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rangpur as the sampling areas according to Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) data. Considering the field survey, the researchers randomly selected eight families with children enrolled in ECE or were eligible to get admitted into the ECE curriculum in recent years from each division, four from urban areas and four from rural regions, to ensure a proper mix of data which would represent the current state and aspirations from ECE. The researchers conducted semi-structured questionnaire surveys for the parents, Key Informant Interviews (KII), and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) to better understand the stakeholders' perspectives and objectives, including those of the teachers and principals of ECE institutions.

2.4 Tools of data collections

The survey method was used, semi-structured and structured questionnaires were developed to get qualitative and quantitative data. This study questionnaire was developed based on the 5-point Likert scale to understand the degree of consensus with the questions given and filled out by concerned stakeholders related to the ECE program in Bangladesh. An appropriate mix of various data collection methods was adopted to triangulate the information obtained per the guidelines. A suitable combination of various data collection methods was adopted to triangulate the information obtained. Data were collected in three phases: the pilot phase, the principal phase, and the follow-up visit. A well-designed questionnaire and checklists were prepared for collecting the data. The researchers visited the selected institutes to collect firsthand data. The researchers also contacted government officials for KIIs regarding the public stakeholder analysis, and personnel from private institutes were also contacted to assess the perspective of private stakeholders. The researchers also used national portals such as the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC), Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), and Education Board for secondary data to collect information from government stakeholders and specialists. Several data collection tools were used to convey the study: survey questionnaire, interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and Key Informant Interview (KII).

2.5 Methods of data analysis and presentation

The details of the dataset examination are shown in Table 5. The investigation's conclusions were analyzed using the voice and transcripts of the replies. This research included using voice recorder recordings, field investigations, and evaluations. The research used logical ways to categorize the data and then pointed out the similarities and contrasts to analyze it. The authors professionally considered ideology, themes, participant characteristics, and coding when assessing the data gathered during this study.

Table 5 Data analysis and explanation of research components
Full size table

Any questions on the research objective were added to the content analysis. During visits to ECE facilities, observations, individual observations, and group discussions were intended to evaluate how culture has impacted the ECE Program in Bangladesh. The interviews were written, documented, and examined explanatorily to look for recurrent trends. A suitable blend of several data-gathering techniques enabled triangulation of the data gathered following the requirements.

2.6 Theoretical framework

Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), developed by Lev Vygotsky, is a renowned theory that seeks to relate cultural and historical context to education learning development. The theorist emphasized how cultural tools such as norms, values, signs, and social practices shape and develop the learning practices of a country [24]. The theorist believes cultural tools contribute to developing complex human activities such as perception, thinking, mentality, and overall behavior. A significant gap remains in developing learners’ knowledge and potential development [24]. To get maximum development, there is indeed a need for social interaction and collaboration for the cognitive development of a learner.

In this study, the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) effectively describes the theoretical underpinning of the relationship between cultural influence and the remodeling of the ECE in Bangladesh. The study aims to identify how cultural facts such as norms, values, historical phenomena, and social practices contribute to the influence of the remodeling of the ECE program in Bangladesh. The author intends to clarify the need to modify the ECE curriculum since it lacks attractions and proper knowledge to introduce the children to relevant knowledge. Thus, amalgamating cultural and academic knowledge into the ECE curriculum might help develop the children's holistic development (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Theoretical framework of cultural influence in remodeling of ECE Curriculum

Full size image

3 Findings and discussions

3.1 Influence and impact of cultural components on ECE

Cultural components, such as customs, beliefs, social norms, regulations, and religions, have significantly influenced education. For the comprehensive development of cognitive and behavioral patterns, children must be exposed to the history and culture of the community. Similarly, Samuelsson and Park [25] and Biggeri and Santi [25] described that achieving Sustainable Development Goals and children's cognitive capabilities, imagination, and welfare depended on appropriate early childhood policies and programs. Cultural factors already substantially affect Bangladesh's ECE system [26]. Although the government attempted to spread culture in ECE schools through programs like holiday celebrations, sports days, and other activities, the policies and initiatives should be effectively connected and appropriately carried out.

3.1.1 Impact of cultural components on shaping results of ECE

According to many studies, children's early education is influenced by cultural elements such as conventions, values, religious beliefs, social expectations, and law [27,28,29,30]. Narayan et al. and Cruz et al. [31, 32]. According to the result of the survey conducted on 103 female and 153 male participants, when asked, 'How do you believe cultural factors impact children's education?" Most participants (94%) responded that cultural components positively influenced their children's education and made them socially acceptable, mentally strong and behaviorally adorable. The participants responded in that manner because it was closely observed that cultural elements in a child’s education aid in [33,34,35,36]. Participants responded that cultural learning in educational institutions helped develop their etiquette, behavior towards older people and parents in the family, and, lastly, their knowledge about their cultural identity and country. One participant responded to the mentioned question by saying, "I think it is positive because it is gradually dynamic.' Narayan et al. [31] said that cultural components are marked as advantageous methods to acquire in educational institutions for learning and developing a child's capabilities to adopt and perform social norms correctly. Therefore, scholars suggest that the dissemination of cultural views and ideas to children should be strongly encouraged and assertive by the principals and instructors [32,33,34,35].

Table 6 depicts the promotion of the country's prestigious history and culture in the pre-primary institutions. Following the study, 21.9% of the respondents, both urban and rural, agreed that ECE schools promote the history and culture of our country; however, a handful of the participants, 22.7%, disagreed and thought that the institutions should take historical and cultural initiatives to acknowledge the prestigious history and norms to the children. The participants believe that promoting national history and culture to children might contribute to their holistic development. One participant stated, "It is crucial to incorporate relevant insights about our culture and heritage in the ECE curriculum as that is the actual age of a child's brain development, which significantly affects their perception of the whole nation moving forward." The mean and standard deviation of the analysis is, respectively, 2.99 and 1.052.

Table 6 Analysis of the responses to the statement the ECE schools promote the history and culture of the country
Full size table

Many research studies have demonstrated the importance of exposing youngsters to the national culture [36, 37]. It is regretful that Bangladesh’s ECE curriculum merely reflects the national history and culture. One must know their culture to understand their identity and what it means to them [38]. Children might learn the right ways of communication, etiquette, and moral behavior by learning cultural norms and activities. Children who have been institutionally schooled differ in culture from other children and are not exposed to societal norms and manners [39, 40]. Children who have not been accustomed to a strong sense of community, on the other hand, are always prone to poor communication skills, a lack of consideration for others, improper manners, lack of advancement in upcoming learning disciplines, lack of enthusiasm in school, and so on [41, 42]. Therefore, according to several studies, enthusiastic instructors with knowledge about culture must walk with students as they learn about the importance of their national identities and customs [43, 44]. Unfortunately, instructors need more cultural awareness nowadays, which is disappointing [45]. There are a plethora of highly qualified instructors working in ECE schools. However, more expertise is required to introduce children to their country's culture while keeping an eye on their continued development. Because of this, children need more motivation to learn about their cultural dimensions.

Table 7 shows the state of the ECE curriculum and whether the existing curriculum promotes national culture. Only a tiny percentage of the participants (27%) believe that the current curriculum spreads culture. However, most respondents disagreed with the statement that the current ECE program extends to culture, with 19.9% disagreeing and 14.8% strongly opposing. One of the participants stated that,

"The current curricula are needed to disseminate the culture properly. There should be festivals, arrangements, and classroom environments to promote our national culture to the children so they feel motivated and inspired to know more about traditional culture. The respective authority needs to add cultural approaches so that our children can know the actual traditional culture of our country."

Table 7 Analysis of the responses to the statement the present ECE curriculum is disseminating the country's culture to the children
Full size table

Another participant described the necessity of adequate dissemination in the educational curriculum and stated, "culture and education are two inseparable parameters. Culture significantly affects ECE in our country, giving children a sense of who they are and the ideas behind their customs and beliefs. Moreover, it helps them develop socially, physically, and emotionally."

It is necessary to promote history and national culture through academic books. Cultural legacy indicates an inherent connection with others and a connectedness. It encourages the maintenance of traditions, practices, and heritage. By disseminating cultural knowledge, children could learn about the history of cultural heritage and its importance [46]. The importance of educating youngsters about a country’s ethnic minorities has also been cited in several studies [47,48,49,50]. Children who are educated regarding ethnic minorities can better recognize prejudice and xenophobia [47]. Studies have discovered that the cultural impoverishment of ethnic minorities experiences at academic institutions, which is correlated to their low academic performance, is a consequence of a lack of understanding regarding them [50]. Due to an inadequate understanding of respective communities and identities, many racial, ethnographic, and linguistic communities struggle in academic endeavors, like Bangladesh. Therefore, scholars highly necessitated giving adequate education about ethnic minorities to children [47,48,49,50].

Table 8 represents the survey of whether the ECE institutional textbooks relate to national history and culture. A substantial number of the participants, 31.3%, comprising 25.5% of male participants and 39.8% of female respondents, shared positive feedback that the current curriculum focuses on the historical and cultural perspectives of the nation. Since in many families, most females are significantly connected with children's education, the perception of the females is regarded as significant comments. Nevertheless, a notable percentage of the respondents (21.5%) disagreed, and 12.9% strongly disagreed with the status. Several respondents argued that "we have a rich culture that can positively affect the ECE setting and curriculum. But our curriculum needs some changes and should give accurate information about our culture." The mean and standard deviation are 3.02 and 1.153, respectively.

Table 8 Analysis of the responses to the statement the study materials relate strongly to the actual history and cultural heritage of the country
Full size table

Children begin to learn about their identities and ancestry via history lessons [51] and develop the capacity to improve communities. Understanding how historical events shaped current events is known by learning history [52]. Learning about other people's lives, challenges, and history fosters humanity [53]. Learning history can reduce the enmity between two different culturally different children, which helps create a friendly school environment. Exploring the broad spectrum of human existence enables children to identify and respect other people's cultures, beliefs, and practices as valuable products of specific historical periods and geographic locations. It offers one a different understanding and assists in formulating great solutions and structures, including concepts. So, the ECE institutions must deliver actual history and cultural heritage to the children by adopting various approaches. Institutions can arrange tours to historical places to provide practical knowledge to the children, which might benefit them for future comprehensive understanding.

3.1.2 Impact on the curriculum of ECE

The cultural components have shaped the ECE curriculum and teaching approaches for years. Teachers have always been cautious about spreading knowledge of positive and negative cultural norms, behaviors, etiquette, and learning to learners to shape their mental and cognitive abilities for the future. Lavy [53] stated that 'the cognitive, social, and interpersonal skills competencies recognized by the American National Research Council as necessary to succeed in current life and career is strongly tied to personal characteristics, which are therefore considered desirable results.' However, in the modern era, globalization has adversely affected the curriculum and approaches of the ECE.

To gather more information on how globalization affects the ECE curriculum, the participants were asked, "What effect does globalization have on disseminating Bangladeshi culture to younger audiences?' Most participants from Dhaka and Chattogram have positively responded to the statement that globalization has made it possible to disseminate and share knowledge. One participant responded, 'Bangladeshi nationals have benefited from the positive impact of globalization since they can teach their children about the culture and tradition both online and offline with similar enthusiasm.' Another participant stated that 'due to globalization, children can now learn and find the dissimilarities between our and other nations’ cultures and through proper guidance they can detect what is right and wrong.' On the contrary, mostly Khulna and Rangpur divisions have claimed that globalization hurts children’s knowledge. Participants found it disappointing that globalization has dominated our culture. Nevertheless, Bangladeshi children gradually feel more motivated and inspired to know other nations' cultures rather than learning and adopting our prestigious cultures.

Table 9 shows that a sizable number of participants (17.97%) disagreed that globalization does not affect the ECE curriculum belonging to the Dhaka and Chittagong divisions. On the other hand, 27.73% of the participants from Khulna and Rangpur highly agreed that globalization had an adverse effect on the children’s knowledge of Bangladeshi culture. Urban people tend to accept technological benefits, whereas rural people do not want to use technology daily. They assume that utilizing technological tools might jeopardize their everyday life. One of the participants from the Rangpur division stated that ‘the current ECE settings are Western pedagogy centric. The approaches and teachings tend to attract children to other countries, and they feel demotivated to know about our prestigious history.'

Table 9 Analysis of the responses to the statement globalization is having an adverse effect on the children’s knowledge of Bangladesh’s culture
Full size table

To promote quality education for sustainability, ECE adopts effective teaching methodologies practiced worldwide. Such educational programs prioritize universal education availability, traveling pre-schools through universities, encouraging learning opportunities, and offering opportunities for children to aspire to be global leaders. In that sense, globalization is proven to improve learning methods and the potential to access, evaluate, assimilate, and utilize information, like children's capacity to act unilaterally, apply prudence, and work collaboratively in novel circumstances [54]. Thus, the teachers should expose the positive sides to the parents for a better understanding of incorporating both approaches into learning. The institutions should find better alternatives to promote cultural education in urban and village areas through globalization.

3.2 Redesigning ECE curriculum for cultural involvement

The government of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs are trying to shape the ECE curriculum with a more robust involvement of national culture. Samuelsson and Park [25] and Biggeri and Santi [25] have necessitated adequate policy implementation in ECE settings and approached that 'for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that children have the intellectual capacity, creative expression, and sense of well-being needed to grow into healthy, contributing individuals, proper early childhood policies and programs are essential.' Engaging culture in educational materials is crucial to increase children's patriotism.

3.2.1 Initiatives of the ministry of cultural affairs to include culture in the ECE curriculum

According to many academicians, it is crucial to have a practical, comprehensive, and strategic framework for the ECE institutions to promote the history and culture of the nation adequately [55,56,57]. In most industrialized nations, every government possesses a comprehensive framework for promoting and advancing ECE, indicating how much the government stresses CE's significance and dedication [41]. The government of Bangladesh can develop and support the framework by taking many initiatives to ensure adequate funding. It is necessary to allocate a budget according to the priority of demand and implement an integrated plan. To lay a foundation, participants were asked, ‘ what do you think whether the government’s policies encourage incorporating culture into the curriculum?’ Many participants responded that the government significantly incorporated culture into the children’s lives by providing culture-based knowledge using stories and pictures in academic textbooks. Besides, government officials addressed that the government has mandated the initiatives to build national monuments on the institution’s premises and decorate the classrooms with significant cultural identities to encourage children to know more about national culture. In this regard, government officials responded.

“The Bangladesh government has taken various measures to incorporate and disseminate cultural identities and knowledge among the children. Modern institutions have been highly regulated by the initiatives to promote culture through educational materials, classroom environments, and arrangements in every cultural festival. The government has mandated old institutions to change their structure and teaching-learning approaches too.”

Another educational specialist said that ‘the adjustments made mandatory for the ECE institutions by the government have given a significant boost to children’s knowledge about culture.’ A handful of participants think the approach encouraged incorporating culture into the curriculum. However, other participants think the initiatives still need adequate supervision and suitable adjustments to integrate the actual history and traditional cultures into children.

Table 10 illustrates the government’s ability to incorporate history and culture into the ECE curriculum. A considerable number of the participants, 38.7%, disagreed, and 11.7% strongly disagreed that the government lacks adequate initiatives and measurement to incorporate history and culture into the current ECE curriculum. It can be depicted that most village schools lack the efficacy of providing children with adequate academic textbooks; thus, the children cannot get proper knowledge through books. Additionally, initiatives such as decorating educational institutions with cultural content and creating national monuments remain unfulfilled in the village institutions since they already lack infrastructural development and funds. On the contrary, 23.8% of the participants, the majority from urban units comprising 17.6% males and 33% females, responded positively and stated that the measures and initiatives were adequate. However, this does not indicate the overall situation of the curriculum. The mean and standard deviation were 3.30 and 1.078, respectively.

Table 10 Analysis of the responses to the statement the government can incorporate culture and history into the present curriculum
Full size table

Nevertheless, the government of Bangladesh has advanced ECE. There is a significant difference between the current ECE curriculum and approaches to the traditional curriculum. Increased government spending has a considerable impact on the quality of education. The funding included hiring qualified educators and sending them on training and development trips to stay current about advanced knowledge and abilities [58]. The Bangladeshi government and MoCA have launched several initiatives to include national history and culture in textbooks and illustrations. The required national monuments on the grounds of all educational institutions have motivated youngsters to observe national holidays and learn about specific historical events. Every institution has a bright classroom decorated with many cartoons of cultural and historical content to inspire the children to learn in a fun setting. According to education experts, it is essential to adorn textbooks with assorted colors and characters to draw students’ attention and encourage them to study what is inside. These approaches can provide children with fundamental learning and care during pre-school.

Participants stated that by enhancing cultural engagement in the ECE curriculum, children could connect well with their roots and build a unique arrangement with other nationalities through communicating and disseminating cultural norms and behaviors. Richerson et al. [59] described that 'culture plays a crucial role in developing and creating bonding with other nationalities simultaneously.' Some participants pointed out that the failure of the adjustments and implementation of the government initiatives at the various institutions crucially goes to the institutions; however, the government has always been held responsible for not taking enough measures. A teacher mentioned, 'although the government provides budget and adequate resources to some institutions, some institutions lack the proper actions to implement the initiatives.' Thus, the government illustrated the need for the courage of the ECE schools' authority to incorporate national history and traditional culture into the ECE curriculum.

Table 11 represents the status of the ECE curriculum and whether the curriculum upholds the various cultural identities throughout the nation. A considerable number of the participants, 26.6%, agreed, and 9.8% highly agreed on providing the inclusive culture of various cultural identities of Bangladesh. On the other hand, 24.6% of the people possessed different opinions and mentioned that 'the curriculum of the ECE failed to adequately uphold the inclusive culture of Bangladesh, including the ethnic minorities.' While asking participants, 'do you think government policy is enough to uphold the inclusive culture of Bangladesh to the children?' an educational specialist mentioned that,

"The ECE curriculum significantly reflects the history and culture of Bengalis; however, the curriculum does not uphold the culture of the ethnic minorities similarly. Though initiatives have been taken regarding the matter, they have yet to be implemented properly. Lack of government officials' integrity and budget allocation remains a primary reason for properly implementing this initiative."

Table 11 Analysis of the responses to the statement the curriculum can uphold the inclusive culture of Bangladesh including ethnic minorities
Full size table

Participants found it crucial to adjust the ECE curriculum so that children can get academic learning and simultaneously be exposed to national and cultural identities.

Impediments to Implement Cultural Initiatives in the ECE Curriculum.

The government and MoCA face various challenges in implementing cultural initiatives in the ECE curriculum. Several participants mentioned that though the government and MoCA take various initiatives to set an adjustment in the ECE program, the initiatives lack progress and resources. The mentioned answers pointed out by the respective participants are analyzed in Table 12, where the quotes and keywords, obtained through the transcriptions of the responses, are categorized respectively:

Table 12 Analysis of the responses to the statement What challenges do you think occur while merging a country’s culture with education?
Full size table

Corruption is found to be primarily responsible for the absence of a cohesive strategy and progress. Several participants mentioned that corruption and illegal activities existed due to the late implementation and decreased funds in the readjustment of the ECE curriculum. Principals and teachers of the ECE institutions were asked, 'Do you think there is a lack of government supervision in this sector?' to gather more information about the lack of measurement taken by the respective authority. One of the teachers mentioned, 'the institutions get funds and guidelines for budget implementation, but due to the corruption of the school authority, minor changes occur in the school environment.' Thus, the government should collaborate with non-government organizations, private officials, and general families to gather more finance and maintain the proper implementation, avoiding corruption to develop ECE's infrastructure and overall curriculum [57].

According to the research, a gap exists between the appropriate implementation framework promoting ECE from a global perspective and developing nations' local customs and circumstances. International donor organizations would consider child development theories from industrialized nations while implementing programs in emerging countries. Such approaches may face opposition and integration if fully implemented in undeveloped nations. In Bangladesh, the growth of the ECE curriculum is hampered due to the slow national planning and complicated structure. A participant stated, ' the government funds take a long time to provide, and thus, we feel demotivated to acquire funds and implement projects.' Therefore, an outsize proportion of the participants stated that the government needs integrated approaches and technological assistance to develop the ECE curriculum as well as the environment of the institutions.

Additionally, a barrier to the globalization of the ECE curriculum remains the higher expense of contemporary technology [41]. Besides, a few participants (12.08 percent) explained that the government faced impediments from the prevailing mentality of the parents and prejudices for which children lack the courage to know about the Indigenous people of our country. Geographic location, gender, ethnic status, and socio-economic background impede children from accessing high-quality institutions. Additionally, parental awareness of enrolling their children in the ECE curriculum decreases because of poverty, prejudice, and religious barriers [60]. Children who live in poverty can not purchase school supplies, receive institutional handouts, and are encouraged to start working early. Unfortunately, many city children do not attend school or get a substandard education. Poor children usually get no assistance or extremely subpar services since they cannot afford expenses. Offering children the proper assistance and ensuring quality education in ECE schools are essential for their better upbringing [60]. Another drawback that discourages children from enrolling in ECE institutions is child labor [61, 62].

3.3 Influence of parental aspiration in the development of the ECE curriculum

The ECE curriculum is significantly shaped and developed by parents. The government and institutional authorities considered various parental aspirations, and thus, approaches were formed that crucially benefit the children. Parental perspective varies in division-wise needs and progress enhancement aspirations; therefore, the participants have been selected from four divisional headquarters districts of Bangladesh. According to Alam [8], a typical combination of childrearing and societal values in the Bangladeshi environment underlies the stratospheric expectations that many parents have towards their children in ECE. Diverse economic situations, geographic locations, and a child's gender directly relate to parental aspirations [63].

Parental Influence in Shaping the Cultural Aspects in the ECE Institutions.

Parents who are conscious of the necessity of holistic development of their children regarding ECE institutions as a significant environment for mental and cognitive enhancement [16, 64]. According to the study, parental participation refers to increasing involvement in children's schooling [65]. Additionally, parental participation is believed to be crucial to children's success in school and at home [66,67,68].

To shed light on the issue of how many parents are conscious of their child being exposed to the national culture and history, parents were asked, 'Which characteristics of the school affected your decision to enroll your child here?' Several parents whose child is currently enrolled in the ECE significantly emphasized on academic prosperity and learning of social norms, behaviors, and etiquette. One participant stated, 'I have chosen this institution for the betterment of my child's upcoming academic results.' In this manner, unaccomplished childhood goals and the current societal demand seem to have contributed to the growth in parental expectations [69]. Parents expect their children to have solid academic backgrounds, so they might not worry about employability. Additionally, individuals believe they would have little prestige within society without low academic credentials. A female participant responded in this regard:

"The pre-school has an adequate measurement to teach the children basic abilities such as thinking critically, speaking well with other children, good gestures and behaviors, social norms, and etiquette. Besides, the teachers here are friendly and follow adequate pedagogy to instruct children. Thus, I think children can develop cognitive qualities and physical abilities."

The participants were further asked, 'when picking institutions, did you consider the children's cultural exposure?' A considerable number of participants (42.09%) responded positively, while a handful (38.02%) responded negatively. Parents were cautious about teaching their children national history and culture. A participant mentioned, 'We, the parents, want to teach our children about national cultures so they know about their national identities.' An ECE school teacher stated that 'the present school approaches and environment play a crucial role in the development of children to know about history and culture.' Another participant acknowledged,

"The young generation is not motivated to know our true history and culture. Many teenagers do not even know our actual history. Thus, the proper knowledge given by the ECE schools could adequately expose our children to our real national culture and identities. The school approaches and stories can inspire children to learn more about our prestigious history."

Table 13 depicts the significance of extra-curricular activities to promote Bangladesh’s cultural heritage to the children. The above table is distinguished into two variables: the participants with children currently enrolled in current ECE programs and those with children not enrolled in current ECE programs. Among the participants, 25% and 18% of parents with children enrolled and not enrolled in ECE agreed with the significance of cultural festivals and sports days for exposing children to Bangladeshi culture. 4.7% of the participants highly necessitated the initiatives, and one of the participants mentioned, ‘through the festivals and sports arrangements in the ECE institutions, students get interested more in their own cultures.’ However, a considerable proportion of the participants, precisely 62.5%, disagreed with the significance of extra-curricular activities, and 45.4% disagreed with the approach exercised. One respondent opined, ‘I do not think any special arrangements are needed to expose our children to culture. If they are interested and the study materials provide adequate information, they can easily learn from them.’

Table 13 Analysis of the responses to the statement'the extra-curricular activities (e.g., cultural festivals, sports days) promote Bangladesh’s cultural heritage to the children
Full size table

Studies have shown that there exists a substantial and positive linkage between parents' expectations for children's educational performance and academic goal setting, perseverance in schooling, subject enrolment, intellectual achievements, and attendance [66, 67, 70, 71]. However, it is unfortunately found that the parents are unaware of their child's knowledge about cultural background. Most parents seem tense about their child's academic performance at elite institutions. Several participants mentioned that parents must be more conscious about exposing their children to history and culture. Thus, parents need a positive approach towards festivals or sports days. They do not let their children attend cultural festivals. One school teacher described.

“Though schools planned to implement the government initiatives to promote culture among the children, some guardians do not let their children participate in those festivals. They have a negative mentality that festivals might harm their child’s academic attentiveness; however, the respective authorities and schools should consult with the guardians to grow a positive mentality toward cultural festivals.”

The lack of parental motivation contributes to the child's lack of cultural understanding, and eventually, children become ignorant about the nationwide cultural activities and knowledge. The deprivation of adequate knowledge also leads to dis-attachment from other nationalities. Therefore, raising parents with adequate concern for their child's understanding of the nation is imperative. Teachers might approach parents to encourage them to involve their children in more cultural events and activities by providing them with the necessary counseling. Similarly, Deal and Peterson [72] have necessitated that it is crucial to make the parents understand the significance of the culture so that they feel motivated to send their child to participate in any cultural arrangements. Therefore, parental consultations can contribute to building a positive mentality towards school arrangements to promote culture.

3.3.1 Parental influence in curriculum and teaching approaches in the ECE

Parents influence the changes and development of the ECE curriculum by giving constant opinions and aspirations of them. Studies highly state the influences of parents' priority, stating that parents' expectations of ECE professionals to facilitate advanced school-based curricula are crucial [66, 67]. Parents' aspirations mentioned in the ECE curriculum are pointed out in Table 14, where quotes and keywords are obtained through the respondent's transcriptions given as follows:

Table 14 Analysis of parental aspirations in influencing the ECE curriculum and teaching approaches
Full size table

Table 14 shows that parents hold significantly influencing opinions to shape educational approaches and curricula. Several participants have mentioned the prolonged and burdened academic curriculum for which children need more time to spend on cognitive and physical development. The curriculum needs to adequately use technologies and impede the acquisition of the advanced benefits of modern technologies. Several participants stated that 'advanced technologies help children enhance their capabilities quickly; however, institutions do not take measures to implement technologies in teaching.' Many participants mentioned, 'the teachers lack capabilities to educate children and need efficient training to enhance their teaching pedagogy.' Furthermore, parents want to improve moral education in the ECE curriculum to promote their children's growth.

The impediments to developing the ECE curriculum mentioned by the parents might contribute as a pathway to create a developed and attractive curriculum that might be easy to understand and learn for the children. It is mentioned in several reports that parental expectations support the growth of ECE in the school sector and better-quality curricula [73, 74]. It is regretful that only a few parents are aware of their children's history and cultural background. However, it is clear from the results that a sizable proportion of parents are still indifferent to their children's cultural understanding. Parents lack the courage to instruct their children about ethnic minorities, too. According to studies, promoting distinct cultures and disseminating information among students is essential in ECE institutions. Professional instructors can use an effective pedagogy method so the students readily assimilate the information they are given [55, 58, 75]. It is to mandate moral instruction be incorporated into ECE programs as parents want their children to leave pre-school with developed morals [76, 77]. In ECE institutions, a lengthy curriculum is considered a burden on the children; it must be changed since it prevents them from developing entirely. The ECE program must be accurate and appealing to keep children interested in the classroom. In addition to educational materials and the classroom environment, it is crucial to organize cultural festivals and sports days to inspire and engage children with their traditions and culture. While the ECE institutions in Asian nations have embraced the Western pedagogy system, it is still vital to introduce students to regional cultures and beliefs.

4 Conclusion

The purpose of curriculum remodeling of ECE under the cultural influence is to have the upcoming generations be acquainted with Bangladesh's wealthiest culture and inclusive history, have better performing ECE programs that positively affect the children's learning, and instill an impression of patriotism and belongingness in the country. Culture, deep-rooted in a person's identity, shapes our morals, values, and beliefs. Revised ECE policies that are more inclusive of culture can be a positive change for the future. When it concerns a child's growth, ECE is essential; ECE prepares the children for upcoming educational life. To achieve sustainable development, enabling all children to acquire their full potential of nourishment as well as fundamental skills is necessary. Due to the critical importance of providing children with the best possible healthy start, the Education Ministry has established an ECE policy framework and made a guideline readily accessible to serve as an essential tool for addressing challenges faced by ECE practitioners and other institutes providing ECE across the country. To divide the roles and responsibilities of the teachers, teaching assistants, staff, and other coordinators and give a specific ECE program, a proper guideline is expected by the Ministry of Education, which can be developed by collaborating with regional and district-level partners. This research might contribute to restructuring the ECE curriculum with cultural components; the country could ensure better education from the early years and contribute significantly to SDG 4 (Quality Education). The paper has certain limitations regarding contextual factors and cultural factors. The study is only limited to the context of Bangladesh. However, the context of other nations and how the global cultural factors affect the ECE curriculum in Bangladesh is not mentioned. Thus, there remains scope for future research in this field, such as a comparative study with other nations, which would benefit the research by investigating the similarities and dissimilarities in the ECE curriculum of Bangladesh with other nations. Additionally, there can be research conducted on the cultural competency of the teachers of ECE about how qualified the teachers are in knowing the cultural contexts and how effective they are in disseminating the knowledge to the children. Thus, further research is expected to discuss these phenomena comprehensively regarding Bangladesh's ECE curriculum.