Early Childhood Educators’ Understandings of How Young Children Perform Gender During Unstructured Play

Bibliographic Data

ID22124240
AuthorsSarah Reddington (0000-0002-1870-0342, Mount Saint Vincent University, corresponding author)
Year2020
Pages49-60
Publication date2020-11-13
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Childhood Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2371-4107 • E-ISSN: 2371-4115
PublisherUniversity of Victoria Libraries (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.18357/jcs00019142
OpenAlexW3099124848
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited8

This study explores Nova Scotia early childhood educators’ (ECEs’) understandings of how young children perform gender during unstructured play. This research reveals that ECEs view gender primarily through traditional gender stereotypes and often unknowingly construct heteronormative play spaces that then inform the ways in which children learn gender. However, the ECEs also recognize the requirement to disrupt normative gender processes and challenge children to think and act outside the gender binary. There is a need for early childhood educators to discuss more regularly their gender-inclusive practices and locate new pedagogical approaches to support diverse identity expressions

Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Epistemology · Gender identity · Normative · Nova scotia · Sociology · Children's Rights and Participation · Early Childhood Education and Development · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Open DOIOpen Access