Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expression
This research captures early childhood educators (ECEs) perspectives when communicating with parents about their children’s diverse gender expression. Since families and ECEs play a pivotal role in shaping young children’s understandings of gender, there is requirement to learn more about ECEs comm...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Brock University
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Brock Education: a Journal of Educational Research and Practice |
| Online Access: | https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked/index.php/home/article/view/976 |
| _version_ | 1797781797772197888 |
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| author | Sarah Reddington |
| author_facet | Sarah Reddington |
| author_sort | Sarah Reddington |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This research captures early childhood educators (ECEs) perspectives when communicating with parents about their children’s diverse gender expression. Since families and ECEs play a pivotal role in shaping young children’s understandings of gender, there is requirement to learn more about ECEs communications with parents. The research that informs this paper is derived from semi-structured focus groups with 15 ECEs who work with young children, ages 3-5 years, at regulated early childhood centers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It explores the reflections from ECEs after having conversations with parents whose children identify outside the traditional constructs of masculine boy/ feminine girl. One central finding the ECEs observe is the displeasure fathers have when their sons engage in feminine interests, including the affective actions the fathers then take to regulate and remove stereotypical girl activities from their sons’ lives. This research highlights the need for more early childhood education training on gender diversity to better support non-binary, transgender children, and children from LGBTQ families and future collaboration with families.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:02:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8ea25530b9164c24affd963a345a9e13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1183-1189 2371-7750 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:02:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Brock University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brock Education: a Journal of Educational Research and Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-8ea25530b9164c24affd963a345a9e132023-07-13T07:00:03ZengBrock UniversityBrock Education: a Journal of Educational Research and Practice1183-11892371-77502023-07-0132210.26522/brocked.v32i2.976Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expressionSarah Reddington0Mount Saint Vincent University This research captures early childhood educators (ECEs) perspectives when communicating with parents about their children’s diverse gender expression. Since families and ECEs play a pivotal role in shaping young children’s understandings of gender, there is requirement to learn more about ECEs communications with parents. The research that informs this paper is derived from semi-structured focus groups with 15 ECEs who work with young children, ages 3-5 years, at regulated early childhood centers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It explores the reflections from ECEs after having conversations with parents whose children identify outside the traditional constructs of masculine boy/ feminine girl. One central finding the ECEs observe is the displeasure fathers have when their sons engage in feminine interests, including the affective actions the fathers then take to regulate and remove stereotypical girl activities from their sons’ lives. This research highlights the need for more early childhood education training on gender diversity to better support non-binary, transgender children, and children from LGBTQ families and future collaboration with families. https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked/index.php/home/article/view/976 |
| spellingShingle | Sarah Reddington Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expression Brock Education: a Journal of Educational Research and Practice |
| title | Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expression |
| title_full | Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expression |
| title_fullStr | Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expression |
| title_short | Early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children’s diverse gender expression |
| title_sort | early childhood educators reflect on their conversations with parents about children s diverse gender expression |
| url | https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked/index.php/home/article/view/976 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarahreddington earlychildhoodeducatorsreflectontheirconversationswithparentsaboutchildrensdiversegenderexpression |