Browsing by Author "Koponen, Anna-Katariina"

Objectives. The aim of this Master's thesis is to find out kindergarten educators understanding of childhood sex and gender and its diversity. The focus of this study is to find out what kind of conceptions kindergarten educators have about sex and gender and how it forms. The goal is also to find if kindergarten educators produce gendered conceptions in their open answers and what kind of information they have considering sex, gender and its diversity. This study also develops ways of how educators can support children sexual identity. It also raises awareness of childhood sex and gender diversity, childhood sexuality, as well as addresses the childhood sex education. Previous studies show that early childhood education has gendered activities. Methods. Methodological studies were characterized by Grounded theory procedures and the phenomenographic research. Analysis was carried out inductively. Quantitative research results support the qualitative results. Research material consisted of a part of the Väestöliitto (Family Federation) commissioned survey in 2013 (see. Appendix 1). From this questionnaire two open questions were chosen. They are: question A (n = 271) "What do you think about that child's sex is encrypted from the child and the environment prior to school age? Do you have any experience of that?" and question B (n = 289) "Tell your experience with whether or not the children's can play, as well as the so-called own sex play and so-called opposite sex plays (for example, boys get to play pirates, as well as the princesses)." The responses were analyzed with Atlas.ti 7.0 (Qualitative Data analyzis) program. Results and conclusions. On the basis of kindergarten educator responses, Sex - Gender conceptions consisted of a total of three Core Categories. Conception of gender was not possible to find out from all of the answers. In the question A, there were three different conceptions of how Sex and Gender is formed: Core Category 1 Sex is a biological fact that determines gender identity "SBM" n = 87/147. Core Category 2 Sex is a biological fact, but gender is built socially, and is the child's own experience "SBIS" n = 56/147 and Core Category 3 Biological sex can be encrypted if the birth of the child's sex is unclear, when Sex and Gender are formed by child's own experience "SSPE" n = 4/147. In the question B, the gender conceptions of educators are Core Category 1 "SBM" n = 100/269 and Core Category 2 "SBIS" n = 169/269. Gender perceptions vary depending on the open question. The study suggests that educators need more information about gender diversity, childhood sexuality and sex education.