For deep-rooted gender equity and social transformation, we need to challenge so-called certainties or dominant ideologies about gender. Many dominant ideologies centred on gender abound in society, and these need to be addressed at the earliest opportunity. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) refers to the care and education of children from birth to 4 years old, and this is an opportune period for teachers to examine and challenge certainties regarding gender. This article reports on a segment of a larger study on inclusion involving a virtual learning participatory workshop with six ECCE teachers and two ECCE teacher trainers that aimed to address a knowledge gap; ECCE research into gender is scarce in developing countries like South Africa. Due to the social distancing necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, all interactions were facilitated through the WhatsApp platform. The study employed a participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) design that focused on collaborative and contextually relevant learning and research. Data were generated in two iterative cycles using a baseline questionnaire, photovoice, reflective journals, and purposeful conversations. Data generated in Cycle 1 revealed that participants required greater awareness regarding their current views on gender and sexuality. Data revealed that members of the action learning set (ALS) required clarity on gender binary, heterosexuality as a dominant ideology, and on gender stereotyping. The ALS transformed their learning environments by addressing those concerns in Cycle 2. The findings in Cycle 2 pinpoint how the respective learning environments were transformed by challenging gender binary, heterosexuality, and gender stereotyping. This research serves to challenge certainties regarding gender. Knowledge presented here could lead to more equitable gender practice at the participants' respective centres, which may impact positively on wider societal transformation.
Background: Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) refers to the care and education of children from birth to age four. There is a scarcity of research on inclusion in this marginalised sector in many developing countries, including South Africa.Aim: This article reports on a virtual learning participatory workshop on understanding inclusion with six ECCE teachers and two ECD practitioner trainers.Setting: Due to the social distancing necessitated by the Corona Virus pandemic, all interactions were facilitated through the WhatsApp platform. Methods:The study employed a participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) design that focuses on collaborative and contextually relevant learning and research. Data were generated in two iterative cycles using a baseline questionnaire, photovoice, reflective journals and purposeful conversations.Results: Cycle one found that some of the participants' understanding of inclusion needed to be challenged. Their understandings of inclusion centred on discourses of disability with a narrow view of inclusion. This action learning set (ALS) mainly regarded inclusion to be a product rather than a process and claimed that segregation had some advantages. Some of the members of the ALS also misconstrued inclusion for micro-exclusive practices of assimilation and integration. Cycle two was planned to address these misunderstandings. Cycle two revealed that becoming inclusive means revisiting dominant ideologies about inclusion and a critical awareness of micro-exclusive practices. Conclusion: This research serves to challenge dominant beliefs of what inclusion is.The knowledge presented here could be cascaded to other ECCE centres in the South African context. With a scarcity of research on inclusion in ECCE, this study may provide a point of departure for future research.
Despite global and national imperatives to build an inclusive society, incidences of discrimination on the basis of numerous marginalised identity markers are widely reported. The early years are an ideal moment for children to form initial attitudes towards different groups of people. In fact, the early years are regarded as a means for social and economic transformation, according to the South African National Development Plan. This article is a segment of a study on a group of early childhood care and education teachers and teacher trainers who explored inclusion using a participatory action learning and action research design. Eight members formed an action learning set and engaged in mutual and collaborative learning to transform their learning environments to become more inclusive. Data were generated in two iterative cycles using a baseline questionnaire, reflective journals, and purposeful conversations. Underpinned by the posthumanist perspective, the findings highlight that diversity needs to be regarded as a strength to be valued, rather than as an impediment. The findings also suggest the need for collectivism in opposition to individualism, and a reconfiguration of the child's identity as posthuman. The study thus contributes to positive outcomes by identifying ways to transform early learning environments to become more inclusive. This not only leads to a more democratic and socially just learning environment but also contributes to wider positive societal change.
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