Beyond Invisibility: Early Childhood Teachers’ Inclusion of Rainbow Families

Cherrington, Sue; Cooper, Kath; Shuker, Mary Jane

doi:10.1007/s10643-020-01121-w

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…When exploring the narratives of LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) teachers in England and their positions of 'being out' in school, Llewellyn & Reynolds (2020) found that teachers who navigate their professional and personal identity overperform to protect themselves. Similarly, Cherrington et al's (2020) study also found that lesbian early childhood educators had to be overly friendly all the time and be perceived as an exemplary educator when wanting to create an inclusive space of visibility for…”

Section: Personal and Professional Conflict: Overperformance Studies ...mentioning

confidence: 86%

“…LGBTQ+ identities. The lesbian educators also expressed that being overly friendly was needed to challenge stereotypes of LGBTQ+ people and for job security reasons (Cherrington et al, 2020). While overperformance may allow LGBTQ+ educators to express their sexual orientation and implement inclusive pedagogies, overperformance may act in favour of heteronormativity.…”

Section: Personal and Professional Conflict: Overperformance Studies ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Early Childhood Educators: Navigating and Challenging Heteronormativity in Childcare Settings

Lim

2024

Preprint

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This qualitative study explored the childcare experiences of 8 LGBTQ+ early childhood educators in Ontario, Canada. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted through a narrative inquiry-based strategy that allowed participants to share stories, experiences and opinions that informed the research question. Through a queer theoretical framework, with intersectionality in mind, analysis of the findings reminded us that the identities of LGBTQ+ early childhood educators are still being challenged and oppressed within the heteronormative spaces of childcare. How participants navigated their gender identity and sexual orientation was also influenced by other aspects of identity that included disability, mental health status, culture, race, and religion. Recommendations for compulsory anti-bias training were voiced by the participants and the researcher as the next step in moving LGBTQ+ inclusive practices within childcare settings forward. Future research that utilizes queer theory should also take on an intersectional approach in understanding queer lives.

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Section: Personal and Professional Conflict: Overperformance Studies ...mentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Personal and Professional Conflict: Overperformance Studies ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Early Childhood Educators: Navigating and Challenging Heteronormativity in Childcare Settings

Lim

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Attention to gender diversity and non-normative ways of being and doing family has lagged in attention compared to other aspects of difference notable in the sector of early childhood education (Cherrington et al, 2020). Representations of families must be considered in any diversity analysis to ensure all children are capable of seeing families as they appear in our communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teacher wellbeing and retention: The impact of rapidly transforming learning and teaching with digital technologies

2024

Education and New Developments 2024 – Volume 2

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This book contains the full text of papers and posters presented at the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2024), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (WIARS).Education is a fundamental right that accompanies us from the very beginning of our lives. It encompasses every experience we encounter, influencing and shaping our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Whether we engage in formal education within classrooms or learn from the world around us, the process of acquiring knowledge plays a vital role in our personal growth and development. It equips us with the tools to navigate the complexities of life, broadens our perspectives, and empowers us to make informed decisions. This International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. Our goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues.We have brought together a diverse group of individuals with various backgrounds to contribute their unique perspectives and knowledge on Education. By including people from different nationalities and cultures, we aim to create a rich plethora of experiences that can broaden our understanding of human nature and behavior. The exchange of ideas and experiences among our participants helps to cultivate personal and academic development, providing a platform for the exploration of new insights and discoveries.END 2024 received 729 submissions, from more than 50 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form of Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. The conference accepted for presentation 284 submissions (39% acceptance rate).

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“…A challenge arises when teachers are expected to build relationships with parents and whānau, and Rainbow families withhold aspects of themselves due to their uncertainty about how this information will be received. This means that opportunities to connect with Rainbow families are potentially lost as the Rainbow families minimise their overt display of difference in an attempt to not stand out (Lee & Duncan, 2008), and teachers, by default, treat them in a generic manner (Cherrington et al, 2020).…”

Section: Heteronormativity In Early Childhood Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The heteronormative influence in ECE settings, which can silence conversations with Rainbow families, is compounded by a lack of resources to guide and support those conversations (Cherrington et al, 2020;Cooper, 2015;Morgan & Surtees, 2022). For example, the management of an ECE setting may not have prioritised the purchase of relevant resources.…”

Section: Heteronormativity In Early Childhood Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I Just Treated Them As Normal” Welcoming And Accepting Rainbow Families Into Early Childhood Education Settings In Aotearoa New Zealand: Newly Graduated Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparation By Initial Teacher Education

Cooper¹

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Global research increasingly highlights the importance and relevance of addressing gay equity issues with children, teachers, and families in education (Shelton et al., 2019). There has also been a rise in awareness regarding inclusion and a shift in the types of families attending early childhood education (ECE) settings in Aotearoa New Zealand (Loveridge et al., 2012). It is important that Rainbow families have a positive experience within their ECE settings, which can be achieved by ECE professionals collaborating with these families (Church et al., 2018; Gunn, 2003). However, even when there is a marked increase in family diversity, teachers have been slow to recognise the diversity of family composition, particularly with regard to same-gendered couples (Cloughessy & Waniganayake, 2014; Gunn, 2011; Iraklis, 2021; Shuker & Cherrington, 2016). This research sought to better understand the connection between ECE teachers’ initial teacher education (ITE) programme content and experience, and their willingness to include Rainbow families as part of the ECE curriculum in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Education plays an important role in transmitting values, customs and culturally preferred practices in all cultures (Lyman et al., 2012). As well as welcoming children and families/whānau, ECE teachers are an important source of support for Rainbow families. Therefore, it is imperative that ECE teachers are well prepared to work with Rainbow families. Unfortunately, opportunities to advocate for Rainbow families in an ECE setting are not often created as such advocacy firstly requires teachers to critique heteronormativity. The pervasiveness of normative discourses means that this is a challenge. This study, grounded in feminist and queer theoretical frameworks, was located in Aotearoa New Zealand with teachers who had graduated within 18 months prior to the commencement of data collection. Data were gathered via an online questionnaire completed by 76 newly graduated ECE teachers across Aotearoa and eight semi-structured individual interviews. Through a critical analysis of the data gathered, I sought to understand what the participants felt about the support they had received during their ITE study towards enabling them to include Rainbow families into their learning environments, as well as the support they received in their early childhood centre with regard to discussing Rainbow families with the children. The findings of this study suggest that a lack of coverage of Rainbow families in ITE programmes is a key reason for newly graduated teachers lacking confidence in advocating for Rainbow families. There was a strong perception that treating all people ‘the same’ was expected and ideal. Whilst beginning teachers may face exposure to disapproving attitudes from other more experienced teachers towards the proactive inclusion of Rainbow families, what stood out in this study was the lack of conversations within teaching teams about how and when to talk to children about Rainbow families. This lack of discussion was evident even when Rainbow families were in attendance, thus amplifying the apparent stranglehold of heteronormative discourses. As a result, importance is not given to addressing the marginalisation of Rainbow family composition within ECE settings. It is the recommendation of this study that consideration be given to strategies for mitigating this current situation. Firstly, ITE providers can provide deliberate, comprehensive, and delineated coverage of inclusion topics and provide clear examples of ways to include and welcome Rainbow families. Emphasis should be given to the value of relationship building as key to forging understandings about difference. Finally, ITE providers need to urgently address the misperception that treating people ‘the same’ is an acceptable and desirable way of working with others. Newly graduated teachers need to consciously disrupt such normative discourses and I suggest that queering their teaching is one tool to enable this to happen.

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Beyond Invisibility: Early Childhood Teachers’ Inclusion of Rainbow Families

Cited by 6 publications

References 21 publications

Exploring the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Early Childhood Educators: Navigating and Challenging Heteronormativity in Childcare Settings

Exploring the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Early Childhood Educators: Navigating and Challenging Heteronormativity in Childcare Settings

Teacher wellbeing and retention: The impact of rapidly transforming learning and teaching with digital technologies

“I Just Treated Them As Normal” Welcoming And Accepting Rainbow Families Into Early Childhood Education Settings In Aotearoa New Zealand: Newly Graduated Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparation By Initial Teacher Education

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