Early childhood education in Cambodia: Preschool teachers’ beliefs, curriculum priorities, and professional development needs

Improving the quality of preschool education is a key goal of curriculum reform initiatives worldwide, including in developing countries such as Cambodia. The preschool curriculum in Cambodia focuses on five core learning areas: mathematics, science, social science, Khmer literacy, and psychomotor skills. This study explored Cambodian preschool teachers’ beliefs about how children learn, their curriculum priorities, and professional development (PD) needs. The study recruited 409 teachers from the three types of preschools in the country. Data were collected through an online survey. We found that participants held child-centered teaching beliefs and considered science and social science the most important learning areas for children. They reported high PD needs in mathematics and Khmer literacy. No differences were found when comparing participants’ responses across educational level, teaching qualification, age, and teaching experience. The study findings offer valuable insights into preschool teachers’ teaching beliefs, curriculum priorities, and PD needs, which may inform teacher education policy and practice in Cambodia and other developing countries. Copyright © 2025 NAECTE.