The current study adopted a case study design with mixed methods to examine the multiple features in child development course syllabi in early childhood teacher education programs in two countries, China and the US. This study provided insights into the twenty syllabi through document review and questionnaires. Twenty-six participants, viewed as "cultural outsiders", were recruited in this study: thirteen from institutions in the US and thirteen from Chinese institutions. Results showed that the syllabi from the US universities could be considered "broad" learning and the syllabi from China as "deep" learning. The Chinese universities in the study focused more on helping students understand child development knowledge, whereas US universities emphasized helping teacher candidates apply the knowledge of child development in practice. Comparatively, US universities concentrated more on critical thinking and cultural perspectives.