Educators’ perspectives on parental belonging in preschool communities

Bibliographic Data

ID21685992
AuthorsBjörn Rúnar Egilsson (0000-0002-0211-754X, University of Iceland, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume33
Issue1
Pages96-109
Publication date2025-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Early Childhood Education Research Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1350-293X • E-ISSN: 1752-1807
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1350293x.2024.2334310
OpenAlexW4394848318
LanguageEN
References cited29

While academic interest in belonging in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings has increased in recent years, the interplay between parental and educators’ notions of belonging is under-researched. This article explores preschool educators’ experiences of working with families of young children and their perspectives of parental belonging in the preschool community. Nineteen educators from five preschools in different neighborhoods in Reykjavík, Iceland, participated in focus group interviews in the spring of 2023. The findings suggest that preschool educators frame parental belonging in performative terms and base it on communication and interaction in the preschool community. A lack of parental interaction and ‘disinterest’ was identified as the main challenge with indications of it having negative effects on the educators’ own performativity of belonging. However, the educators reported reaching far beyond their job descriptions to provide cultural brokerage to parents of foreign backgrounds, to assist them in navigating the welfare system, and to facilitate wider social engagement. The findings have implications for preschool educators’ expectations towards their engagement with parents of young children

Child rearing · Developmental psychology · Early childhood education · Pedagogy · Preschool education · Sociology · Children's Rights and Participation · Early Childhood Education and Development · Parental Involvement in Education · Psychology