Gender education in early childhood: representations and pedagogical approach of chilean educators

Abstract

Currently, althought public policies foster the reduction of gender gaps, there are still social representations about roles and stereotypes that have limited cultural changes. One of these is early childhood education, a highly feminized educational level, where there is little evidence and questioning about the perspectives on gender issues. The purpose of this paper is to understand the representations of Chilean early childhood teachers regarding gender, as well as their perceptions about the gender educational approach. For this, descriptive/comprehensive qualitative research was carried out based on semi-structured interviews with six teachers. Results show four teachers’ gender representations, that question traditional roles and gender inequity but only one move away from a binary paradigm that transcend the dualistic conception of gender. Additionally, teachers address the gender perspective in their teaching practice, including strategies used in the classroom, the implementation of the curriculum and the relationship with the families. Finally, it is discussed the advances in questioning gender inequities and the challenges that prevail both in educational practice and in public policies.