“Everyone Can Do Everything!”: Exploring Shifts in Gender Norms in Preschool Classrooms

Öz

Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping young children’s understandings of gender and in promoting gender equity within early learning environments. This qualitative study explored how five preschool teachers in Turkey implemented gender equality-focused practices in their classrooms and how these practices influenced both teacher reflection and children’s perceptions of gender roles. Over a four-week period, the participating teachers designed and facilitated weekly classroom activities centered on themes such as toys, colors, domestic roles, and occupations, integrating drama, play-based learning, and read-aloud sessions. Data were collected through reflective teacher journals, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: (1) confronting invisible stereotypes and transforming practice, (2) children’s emerging gender consciousness, and (3) persistent tensions in gendered preferences. The findings highlight that gender equality-focused practices served not only as interventions for children but also as catalysts for teacher learning and self-awareness. They further indicate that while some children developed more inclusive views of gender, others—particularly boys—maintained rigid gender norms, especially during play. This study underscores the need for sustained teacher support, gender-sensitive curriculum development, and family engagement to foster meaningful and lasting change in early childhood settings.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Gender equity
• gender styreteopyes
• gender awereness
• early childhood education
• teacher

“Everyone Can Do Everything!”: Exploring Shifts in Gender Norms in Preschool Classrooms

Öz

Okul öncesi öğretmenleri, çocukların toplumsal cinsiyet algılarını şekillendirmede ve sınıf ortamlarında toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğini teşvik etmede kritik bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu nitel araştırma, Türkiye’de görev yapan beş okul öncesi öğretmeninin sınıf içi toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğine yönelik uygulamalarına odaklanarak hem öğretmenlerin pedagojik yaklaşımlarında hem de çocukların toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine ilişkin düşüncelerinde nasıl dönüşümler yaşandığını incelemiştir. Dört hafta süren uygulama sürecinde öğretmenler, oyuncaklar, renkler, ev içi roller ve meslekler gibi temalar etrafında haftalık etkinlikler tasarlayıp uygulamış; bu etkinliklerde drama, oyun temelli öğrenme ve etkileşimli kitap okuma gibi yöntemlerden yararlanmışlardır. Araştırma verileri, öğretmenlerin yansıtıcı günlükleri, sınıf gözlemleri ve yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Tematik analiz yoluyla çözümlenen veriler, (1) görünmez kalıplarla yüzleşme ve uygulamada dönüşüm, (2) çocukların gelişen toplumsal cinsiyet farkındalığı ve (3) toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı tercihlerde süregelen gerilimler olmak üzere üç ana tema etrafında yapılandırılmıştır. Bulgular, toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğine yönelik uygulamaların yalnızca çocukların farkındalığını artırmaya yönelik sınıf içi müdahalelerle sınırlı kalmadığını; aynı zamanda öğretmenler için de önemli bir öğrenme ve öz farkındalık sürecini tetiklediğini ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca, bazı çocukların toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine yönelik daha kapsayıcı bakış açıları geliştirdiği, ancak özellikle erkek çocukların oyun bağlamında toplumsal cinsiyet kalıp yargılarına daha sıkı bir şekilde tutunmaya devam ettikleri gözlemlenmiştir. Bu çalışma, okul öncesi eğitimde toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğinin sağlanabilmesi için öğretmen eğitimine öncelik verilmesi, toplumsal cinsiyete duyarlı öğretim programlarının geliştirilmesi ve ailelerin sürece etkin bir şekilde dahil edilmesi gerektiğine işaret etmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği
• toplumsal cinsiyet kalıpyargıları
• toplumsal cinsiyet farkındalığı
• erken çocukluk eğitimi
• öğretmen

Kaynakça

1. Adriany, V. (2019). Being a princess: Young children's negotiation of femininities in a kindergarten classroom in Indonesia. Gender and Education, 31(6), 724-741. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2018.1496229
2. Aina, O. E., and Cameron, P. A. (2011). Why does gender matter? Counteracting stereotypes with young children. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 39(3), 11-19. Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
3. Burton, C. (2020). Gender disrupted during storytime: Critical literacy in early childhood education. Journal of Childhood Studies, 45(4), 35–48. https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs00018978
4. Callahan, S., and Nicholas, L. (2019). Dragon wings and butterfly wings: Implicit gender binarism in early childhood. Gender and Education, 31(6), 705-723. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2018.1552361
5. Chapman, R. (2016). A case study of gendered play in preschools: How early childhood educators' perceptions of gender influence children's play. Early Child Development and Care, 186(8), 1271–1284. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2015.1089435
6. Chapman, R. (2021). Moving beyond ‘gender-neutral’: Creating gender expansive environments in early childhood education. Gender and Education, 34(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1902485
7. Charalampous, A. and Sidiropoulou, T. (2024). A threefold approach to children’s choice of play in the school and family environment. European Journal of Education Studies, 11(5), 21–41.
8. Creswell, J. W. (2007). Five qualitative approaches to inquiry. In J. W. Creswell (Ed.), Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (pp. 53-84). Sage.

9. Davies, B. (2003). Frogs and snails and feminist tales: Preschool children and gender. Hampton Press.
10. Emilson, A., Folkesson, A., and Lindberg, I. M. (2016). Gender beliefs and embedded gendered values in preschool. International Journal of Early Childhood, 48, 225-240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-016-0162-4
11. Endendijk, J. J., Groeneveld, M. G., van der Pol, L. D., Van Berkel, S. R., Hallers-Haalboom, E. T., Mesman, J., and Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2014). Boys don’t play with dolls: Mothers’ and fathers’ gender talk during picture book reading. Science and Practice, 14(3-4), 141-161. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2014.972753
12. England, D. E., Descartes, L., and Collier-Meek, M. A. (2011). Gender role portrayal and the Disney Princesses. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 64(7-8), 555–567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-9930-7
13. Fawcett, C. and Hellmer, K. (2025). Preschoolers' gender identification rigidity relates to their gender-typed predictions for others. Social Development, 34(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12792
14. Gansen, H. M. (2019). Push-ups versus clean-up: Preschool teachers’ gendered beliefs, expectations for behavior, and disciplinary practices. Sex Roles, 80(7), 393-408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0944-2
15. Grieshaber, S. and Krieg, S. (2024). Gendering and slow violence as mundane political practice in early childhood education, Critical Studies in Education, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2024.2368814
16. Hardardottir, G. A. and Petursdottir, G. M. (2014). Gendering in one Icelandic preschool. Nordisk Barnehageforskning, 7(9), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.7577/nbf.681
17. Heikkila, M. (2020). Gender equality work in preschools and early childhood education settings in the Nordic countries—an empirically based illustration. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 6(75), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-0459-7
18. Hill, T. M. and Bartow Jacobs, K. (2020). “The mouse looks like a boy”: Young children’s talk about gender across human and nonhuman characters in picture books. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48, 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00969-x
19. Işıtan Kılıç, D. (2022). A poststructural feminist approach to the acquisition of gender roles in early childhood. İstanbul Üniversitesi Kadın Araştırmaları Dergisi, 25, 141-154. https://doi.org/10.26650/iukad.2022.1135316
20. Karabay, Ş. O., Güzeldere Aydın, D., Tunç, M., and Kanbur, B. N. (2019). The effects of social gender equality-oriented educational activities and materials on gender stereotypes of children. International Journal of Educational Research Review, 4(3), 275-287. https://doi.org/10.24331/ijere.573855
21. Kim, S. J. (2016). Expanding the horizons for critical literacy in a bilingual preschool classroom: Children’s responses in discussions with gender-themed picture books. International Journal of Early Childhood, 48(3), 311-327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-016-0171-3
22. King, T. L., Scovelle, A. J., Meehl A., Milner, A. J., and Priest, N. (2021). Gender stereotypes and biases in early childhood: A systematic review. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 46(2), 112-125. https://doi.org/10.1177/1836939121999849
23. Kneeskern, E. E. and Reeder, P. A. (2022). Examining the impact of fiction literature on children’s gender stereotypes. Current Psychology, 41(3), 1472-1485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00686-4
24. Li, J. (2023). Gender never defines me: A study on preschool teachers' do and don't about gender. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 7(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100397
25. Maegdefrau, J. (2023). Differential teachers’ attention to boys and girls in mathematics whole class interaction sequences. Journal of Education Teaching and Social Studies, 5(3), 103-126. https://doi.org/10.22158/jetss.v5n3p103
26. Martin, C. L. and Ruble, D. N. (2013). Patterns of gender development. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 353–381. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100511
27. Martin, C. L. and Fabes, R. A. (2001). The stability and consequences of young children’s same-sex peer interactions. Developmental Psychology, 37(3), 431–446. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.37.3.431
28. Martin, M. (2011). Children at play: Learning gender in the early years. Trentham Books.
29. Midgette, A. J., Ma, D., Stowe, L. M., and Chernyak, N. (2023). U.S. and Chinese preschoolers normalize household labor inequality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(38), e2301781120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2301781120
30. Miller, D. I., Lauer, J. E., Tanenbaum, C., and Burr, L. (2024). The development of children's gender stereotypes about STEM and verbal abilities: A preregistered meta-analytic review of 98 studies. Psychological Bulletin, 150(12), 1363–1396. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000456
31. Nguyen, A. (2022). “Children have the fairest things to say”: Young children’s engagement with anti-bias picture books. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(5), 743–759. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01186-1
32. Papakosma, M. (2023). Policy responses to diversity in early childhood education and care: Setting the agenda and meeting the challenges. European Educational Research Journal, 24(1), 48-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041231181935
33. Skipper, Y. and Fox, C. (2021). Boys will be boys: Young people’s perceptions and experiences of gender within education. Pastoral Care in Education, 40(4), 391–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2021.1977986
34. Skočajić, M. M., Radosavljević, J. G., Okičić, M. G., Janković, I. O., and Žeželj, I. L. (2020). Boys just don’t! Gender stereotyping and sanctioning of counter-stereotypical behavior in preschoolers. Sex Roles, 82, 163-172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01051-x
35. Spinner, L., Cameron, L., and Tenenbaum, H. R. (2022). Gender stereotypes in young children’s magazines. Mass Communication and Society, 26(1), 147-170. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2052902
36. Sullivan, J., Moss-Racusin, C., Lopez, M., and Williams, K. (2018). Backlash against gender stereotype-violating preschool children. Plos One, 13(4), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195503
37. Tashakkori, A. and Teddlie, C. (Eds.). (2003). Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research. Sage.
38. Terrier, C. (2020). Boys lag behind: How teachers’ gender biases affect student achievement. Economics of Education Review, 77, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2020.101981
39. Vivaldi, R. A. and Rose, S. (2024). A cross-cultural study of children's graphic representations of men- and women-dominated occupations. British Journal of Development Psychology, 42(4), 461-477. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12507
40. Wang, S. (2023). Exploring early childhood educators’ perceptions and practices towards gender differences in STEM play: A multiple-case study in China. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52, 1121–1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01499-3
41. Warin, J. and Adriany, V. (2017). Gender flexible pedagogy in early childhood education. Journal of Gender Studies, 26(4), 375-386. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2015.1105738
42. Xiao, S. X., Cook, R. E., Martin, C. L., and Nielson, M. G. (2019). Characteristics of preschool gender enforcers and peers who associate with them. Sex Roles, 81, 671–685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01026-y
43. Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Sage.
44. Children’s Literature Cited
45. Berk, E. (2020). This is my dad [İşte Benim Babam]. Abm.
46. Gourion, S. (2024). Boys and girls can do anything [Kızlar da Yapar! Erkekler de Yapar!]. YKY.
47. Jones, P. and Ogilvie, S. (2023). Izzy Gizmo [Mucit Gizmo]. Beta Kids.