Concluding reflections: current issues and future directions for comparative studies in early childhood education

ABSTRACT In this article, we consider the current state of comparative studies in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and set out proposals for future directions, in particular contesting the increasing dominance of a ‘science of solutions’ and proposing the benefits and implications of pursuing a ‘science of difference’ (Nóvoa [2018]. “Comparing Southern Europe: The Difference, the Public, and the Common.” Comparative Education 54 (4): 548–561). By adopting a ‘critical’ perspective and working with Nóvoa’s concepts, we draw on the papers included in this special issue, to debate issues of purpose, paradigm, position, and power, alongside their significance for the comparative study of ECE. We argue that respecting and valuing diversity discourages solutionist technocratic comparative education approaches. The article maps directions from the past to the present and connects them with the future of comparative education in ECE as a diversity engaged, ethical and democratic ‘science’.