Journal of Childhood, Education & Society (JCES)
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Addressing the hidden costs of preschool soft expulsions: Examining racial and disability inequities in early childhood exclusion
Full text linkSoft expulsion, the unofficial removal of children from preschool due to perceived behavioral challenges, disproportionately affects children from marginalized communities, particularly those receiving special education services. Practices such as frequent early pick-up requests or suggestions that a program is not a “good fit” reflect systemic inequities, including implicit bias, insufficient trauma-informed training, and structural racism. Black boys and children with disabilities experience these exclusionary practices at higher rates, leading to long-term social-emotional and academic harm. Grounded in critical race theory, this paper critiques colorblind ideologies that obscure racialized and ableist discipline practices, perpetuating the ordinariness of racism in early learning. It examines how soft expulsions disrupt developmental trajectories and limit access to foundational learning experiences. This paper calls for anti-racist reforms, including policy changes, comprehensive anti-bias training, and resource reallocation to address these inequities. It advocates for culturally responsive, trauma-informed teaching and critiques accountability systems that fail to track soft expulsions. Policy recommendations include mandatory data collection, expanded mental health support, and restructuring teacher education to incorporate anti-racist and anti-ableist curricula. This work contributes to the broader discourse on equity in early childhood education, urging systemic change to ensure all children have access to inclusive, supportive learning environments
Philosophical foundations for anti-racist early education: A Mediterranean perspective
Full text linkThis article examines anti-racist early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the Mediterranean, a region marked by diverse histories, cultures, languages, and migration patterns. These dynamics shape access, curriculum, language policy, and belonging from the earliest years. Drawing on Fanon, Freire, hooks, Ladson-Billings, West, and Braudel’s longue durée perspective, the study introduces a conceptual framework based on four interconnected tenets: critical consciousness, empathy, cultural affirmation, and participatory community learning. Greece, Italy, Malta, and selected North African countries were purposefully selected as illustrative - not comprehensive - examples to showcase contrasting histories, linguistic and cultural diversity, and policy environments. Comparative analysis across these country sections informs regionally relevant policy priorities, showing how the framework can generate actionable strategies for embedding anti-racist, culturally affirming practice across Mediterranean contexts. Mapping each case to the framework reveals promising practices and persistent gaps, as well as the influence of historical legacies, policy landscapes, and socio-political realities on local enactments. This insight demonstrates the framework’s dual utility: (i) as an analytical lens for evaluating existing practices, (ii) and as a generative guide for creating locally responsive, culturally sustaining anti-racist pedagogies. The analysis advances debates on linguistic justice, identity, and inclusion, highlighting language as both a barrier and a lever for equity. By integrating theory, practice, and policy, the article calls for moving anti-racism from aspiration to embedded practice through sustained investment in teacher education, high-quality ECEC provision, inclusive curricula, effective community partnerships, and context-sensitive policy. Anchored in love, justice, and historical consciousness, the framework positions Mediterranean ECEC as transformative for equity, solidarity, and cultural renewal
Reconnecting and reclaiming Africentricity: Applying Africentric principles and pedagogy in early learning and child care settings
Full text linkAn Africentric Early Childhood Education diploma program offered in Nova Scotia (Canada) at the Nova Scotia Community College has been highlighted as a community asset, bringing strength to the early childhood sector. Underpinned by the philosophy of Ubuntu, this pre-service training fosters a supportive learning environment for Black early childhood educators. This research used a Photovoice methodology to explore the application of Africentric principles and pedagogy from participants (n=12) who were graduates of this program and working in early childhood settings during the time of the study. Through a series of workshops, participants identified five key themes: 1) I am the foundation; 2) Connection; 3) Our cultural identity; 4) Self-expression; and 5) Support. Participants referred to themselves as foundational for driving change in early childhood education and curated environments that offered authentic learning experiences of cultural advocacy. At the same time, participants shared feelings of not being supported in their practice as educators, primarily by program administrators, which hindered trust. Participants collectively developed recommendations for the early childhood sector to improve cultural safety and responsiveness. The results from the study are transferable to other educational settings in efforts to challenge systemic racism and ensure safe working environments for educators
Activities of musical expression and creation in the context of the integrated curriculum for early childhood education and care
Full text linkAdhering to the principles of social constructivism, as well as understanding the child’s personality and respecting the child as a social being in a certain context, the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care offers a new paradigm of childhood. Recognizing the child’s holistic image and the integrated and exploratory nature of the child’s learning, musical learning activities are organized as part of a whole within a project topic. To better understand and improve the representation of musical activities in educational practice, this research aimed to describe how musical activities are implemented from the aspect of integrated curriculum and project-based learning. Participatory ethnography as a type of practice-based research was applied to present and describe various forms and ways of implementing and connecting musical activities with other methodological areas within project-based learning. A total of 18 children aged 4 to 6 years participated in the activities. To gain a deeper understanding of the children\u27s culture, experiences and development, while building trust and supporting their holistic wellbeing, the research used ethnographic methods, including participant observation with a focus on reflexivity and descriptive writing. It is concluded that educators can effectively integrate musical activities into project-based learning in line with the national curriculum, which supports holistic child development and enriches children\u27s competencies by creatively combining music with other areas of development
Pluralist proximity: Speculation for an antiracist pedagogy in Swedish and Norwegian early childhood education
Full text linkThis article builds on findings that racism significantly affects the well-being of minoritised students in early childhood education in Sweden and Norway. We understand the lack of a specific antiracist early childhood education in a colourblind society as impacting the development of young children and the future of the Earth when racial disparity amplifies the instabilities caused by predatory capitalism and the climate crisis. We challenge the assumption that education in the arts is inherently beneficial and speculate on a future where critical awareness of differences and colonial understanding are integral in early childhood education. Our aim with this article is to enhance the abilities of early childhood education students and teachers, as well as early childhood teachers, to develop visual racial literacy. We unpack the Solmaz collective\u27s emerging concept of pluralist proximity: a state of collective professional development that can scaffold a practice of emancipatory antiracism needed in early childhood education contexts. It is a speculative, emerging pathway for students and teachers to develop antiracist pedagogy for early childhood education in Sweden and Norway. The notion of pluralist proximity investigates how zones of racial discomfort can be acknowledged and harnessed to develop antiracist teaching practices. The authors of the article use performative research, which is entangled with postcolonial thought. By identifying how stereotypes are subtly perpetuated through colonised lenses, the image thus becomes a theoretical and methodological tool for critically thinking about our entanglements in racialisation processes. It aligns with the concept of visual racial literacy
Building anti-racist competences in early childhood education: Collaborative design and impact of a professional development program
Full text linkThe preschool period plays a pivotal role in fostering positive intergroup attitudes and nurturing a healthy self-image in children. With racism on the rise globally, early childhood educators often feel unqualified to address issues of race, diversity and justice, leaving our youngest children vulnerable. In Flanders, there is a notable lack of support and training to build anti-racist competences and implement social justice education in early childhood settings. This study addresses these challenges by co-constructing and evaluating a systeshic, high-quality professional development program specifically tailored to early childhood educators. Utilizing the framework of Educational Design Research, the program was co-developed with early childhood educators based on literature reviews, classroom observations, and interviews. This process led to the identification of six design principles for anti-racist professional development: (a) Diversity content & pedagogical knowledge, (b) intercultural skills, (c) learning materials, (d) community of learners, (e) guided critical reflection, (f) policy and shared vision. These design principles formed the foundation for the subsequent creation and evaluation of a professional development program to strengthen anti-racist practices in early childhood education. A pilot study involving 10 early childhood educators demonstrated significant self-reported improvements in several areas, including: (a) increased use of sensitive and inclusive language, (b) heightened awareness of biases and perspectives, (c) enhanced anti-racist teaching skills, such as addressing racism and designing anti-racist activities for children, (d) strengthened collaboration with colleagues and parents, and (e) greater courage, confidence, and willingness to act against racism in practice. These findings underscore the potential of evidence-based, contextually adapted, and collaboratively designed professional development programs to foster inclusive, anti-racist early childhood environments. The study contributes to the field of early childhood education by emphasizing the importance of community-based, co-constructed approaches to enhance educators’ anti-racist competences
‘Why don’t we teach loving who you are?’ Exploring the need for a positive racial literacy programme for young children
Full text linkThe early years setting is often where young children have their first solo experience of socialising, making friends and meeting unfamiliar adults. It can also be the place where they first experience racism. Further, while research highlights the presence of racial bias and exclusion in early childhood, there is limited understanding of how practitioners address these realities in everyday practice. This paper presents Proud of the Skin I’m In, a racial literacy development programme developed across Wales, England, and the United States to support conversations about race, identity and belonging in early years settings. While the program includes multiple components, this paper focuses on educator reflections gathered during a focus group exploring its feasibility and potential value. This qualitative study draws on a 90-minute online focus group with six early years practitioners from England, Wales, and the United States, which was analysed thematically to explore their perspectives. We find that practitioners welcomed structured opportunities to engage with race but expressed concerns around confidence, implementation, and the tendency for racial identity work to fall disproportionately to minoritised staff. We argue that supporting young children’s racial identity cannot be left to individual goodwill. It must be embedded into everyday pedagogy through intentional practice, shared responsibility, and sustained institutional support—ensuring all children are recognised, affirmed, and encouraged to take pride in their identity
Anti-racist pedagogy in early years and childhood settings
Full text linkThe idea for this Thematic Issue on Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Early Years and Childhood Settings emerged after an inspiring conference titled “Cha(lle)nging Childhoods: Reimagine Childhood in Uncertainty and Inequality” (ConferenceCES, Istanbul, June 2024) organised by the Journal of Childhood, Education & Society. In our discussions as scholar-activists, we felt a deep need to hear from academics and practitioners around the world - to better understand what is happening on the ground, and to collectively consider how we might challenge racist education systems across different contexts
Rethinking play and child-centredness within early childhood curriculum in Croatia
Full text linkWithin Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) the child-centred approach, with all its various and diverse contextual interpretations, is well-established as a cynosure of contemporary theoretical discourses as well as endeavours in everyday practice, at least on a declarative level. Play is positioned as a high priority within the child-centred approach; more specifically, play is conceptualized as the central activity of the child through which they learn. Whilst these two concepts seem to be coherent and based upon similar theoretical underpinnings, there is much room for critical discussion concerning the conceptualizations and rationale behind both of them. This paper discusses how the academic community, in this paper, exemplified by specific policy-makers and early childhood educators in Croatia, see play and child-centredness in the curriculum-framed ECEC context. An e-focus group was conducted with twelve (12) early childhood educators in Croatia, showcasing the educators’ uncertainties regarding thinking about and ‘doing’ play and child-centredness while realising their planned curriculum. The paper concludes with deliberations on the position of adults within child-centred ECEC practice, based on both literature and research results with a potential impact in terms of rethinking ECEC practices as well as documentation practices in Croatia
A study of teachers\u27 perceptions of early childhood language and literacy education: Importance-performance analysis
Full text linkThis study analyzes kindergarten teachers\u27 perceptions of the importance and performance in early childhood language and literacy education in hopes of identifying practical ways to support early childhood language and literacy development. The research questions were as follows. First, how do kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of the importance differ from their perceptions of performance in early childhood language and literacy education? Second, what does an IPA analysis reveal about kindergarten teachers’ importance- and performance-related perceptions of specific areas of early childhood language and literacy? Analyzing a sample of 200 kindergarten and daycare teachers responsible for classes of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, we examined differences in importance- and performance-related perceptions regarding early childhood language and literacy education. Our analysis focused on four areas (listening, speaking, reading, writing) in 22 sub-items. The results revealed similarities and differences between kindergarten teachers’ importance- and performance-related perceptions of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The IPA analysis showed that Quadrant 1 had a high proportion of listening, speaking, and reading, mainly featuring elements related to attitude and comprehension, while Quadrant 3 had a high proportion of writing, mainly featuring elements related to the technical aspects of language, such as phonemes, fluency, and accuracy. Exploring the extent to which teachers\u27 perceptions of the importance of each area of early childhood language and literacy education are connected to practice, the results of this study highlight the need for specific support and education in areas where discrepancies exist between perceptions and implementation