01 Suppliers or demanders? Participants’ identities in rural ECEC services from the perspective of the supply-side structural reform in China

The purpose of this study is to utilize the concept of China’s recent policy, Supply-side Structural Reform (SSSR) in education, in order to explore participants’ identities in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in rural areas of China. The concept of the SSSR was integrated with Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (BEST) as a conceptual framework to analyze data collected from eight participants comprising of preschool teachers and caregivers (microsystems), and local communities (macrosystems).This case study reveals that participants’ positive identities facilitate their empowerment. Additionally, the establishment of an educational foundation in rural ECEC adjusted the traditional SSSR way of thinking and successfully became an alternative educational supplier. As a result, this study suggests that to improve the quality of the rural ECEC service, the structural reform of rural ECEC should consider exchanging the roles of suppliers and demanders. Once the participants’ diverse identities as both ECEC suppliers and demanders are considered flexible, policy makers and education legislators can clearly establish guidelines for the revitalization of rural ECEC in China.