7. Early childhood education and gender norms

Introduction

This module of ALIGN’s Education and Gender Norms guide examines how gender norms affect early childhood education (ECE). It looks at how unequal gender norms are often reinforced in pre-schools, and how they can be transformed in a positive way to promote gender equality.

ECE refers to formal or informal learning from birth to eight years old, in pre-school, kindergarten, or nursery environments. The module focuses on formal early educational settings, and largely on children aged three to six.

Early Childhood Education is an important formative experience, during which children are exposed to many gendered norms. Socialisation into gender stereotypes begins in the very early years, often from birth. By the age of three, children understand cultural gender stereotypes; and by the age of six, they have formed expectations about gender roles.

Local gender norms are brought into the classroom by both teachers and children. Norms about gendered behaviour, appearance and futures for children affect how ECE staff interact with learners, with other teachers, and with parents. Teachers may consciously or unconsciously interact differently with girls and boys, and the spaces, play materials, books, illustrations and language used convey messages about gender norms and roles. Children develop their understanding of gender through these messages (as well as at home and in other spaces). These practices may seem harmless, but they become problematic when educators use them to frame children’s mind-sets about what they can and cannot do by virtue of them being girls or boys.

The past decade has seen growing efforts to reduce such biases by promoting gender-transformative approaches in Early Childhood Education. This guide discusses two main areas where there is evidence that gender norms can be challenged in this field: pedagogy and learning materials.

Pedagogy

Recently, Early Childhood Education practice has begun to integrate content on gender equality into pedagogical training on learner-centred approaches. This approach, often termed gender-responsive pedagogy (GRP), aims to enable children to develop and explore their abilities and interests without the limitations of gender stereotyped roles, norms and ideas imposed by teachers and others. It aims to generate more gender-equitable learning outcomes, and more gender-equitable attitudes and behaviours in children.

Supporting teachers to challenge and overcome their own biases

The three evaluations in this section (see full text) suggest that, with support, teachers can quickly change their attitudes and beliefs about gender and begin to remove negative stereotypes in their teaching. But it is not yet clear if this kind of training changes children’s behaviour and attitudes about gender, or if it will make a significant difference to gender norms as children grow up.

Checking and challenging gender stereotypes among children

One overarching approach to gender-responsive pedagogy is to challenge gender stereotypes and gender norms whenever they arise in the classroom – whether in books or stories, in discussions or conversations, and among learners.

Ingredients of effective gender-responsive pedagogy training for ECE teachers

Often, the first recommended step is for teachers to reflect on their own biases through observation of their practices and language, in dialogue with colleagues. The GRP4ECE toolkit, for example, recommends observing (or filming) a teacher, and paying attention to subtle gender biases like different language or intonation when talking to girls or boys, different task assignation or questions, and counting how often boys and girls respond or participate. Peer learning and support is often mentioned as a sustainable way to change educational practices.

Gender balance in the early childhood education workforce

Globally, the ECE sector is highly feminised. It is also poorly paid, low status, and less professionalised than other education sectors, precisely because it is often perceived as an extension of women’s caregiving role. However, deliberate efforts to include more men in ECE, along with improving recognition and pay for ECE teachers, can expand the pool of gender role models for students and help to counteract negative views of men working with children.

Learning materials and classroom environments

Learning materials and classroom arrangements may transmit gender stereotypes, or channel children in gendered directions. Small tweaks to learning materials and classroom arrangements can help prevent this.

Gender-sensitive materials

Illustrations and examples in learning materials may promote gender stereotypes. In story books, for example, boys and men are often the main characters who have adventures, while girls and women are often shown in family and caring roles, or they show women as passive and unambitious characters at home, with men as the active, driven protagonists. As revision of learning materials takes time, instead teachers can avoid using specific biased texts and images, or they can use gender stereotypes as teaching moments to challenge and question gender norms.

Encouraging all children to play with a diverse range of toys helps to break down stereotypes and broadens their understanding of different roles and activities. Ultimately, diversifying play toys helps children to see that skills and activities are not limited by gender, fostering a more inclusive and equitable mind-set from an early age.

Classroom arrangements

UNICEF reports that mixed-sex and mixed-ability groupings help foster cross-gender friendships and play, which helps children learn how to interact comfortably and equally with other genders. There is some evidence from Sweden that young children who favour same-sex playmates develop more pronounced gender-stereotyped interests and behaviour over time, embedding gender inequality. In contrast, mixed-sex groups and play that crosses traditional gender stereotypes promotes empathetic relationships between genders, and helps children to develop interests that may not align with gender norms.