Browsing by Author "Rissanen, Nenna"

This Bachelor’s Thesis examines the views that early education teachers have about gender and gender equality. In this study I also examine what kind of strategies for promoting gender equality early education teachers mention. There has been some research on gender in the Finnish preschool context (e.g. Ylitapio-Mäntylä 2009 and Lappalainen 2006). Previous studies have shown that gender has a crucial role in the early education and the views and attitudes early education teachers have about gender and equality affect their work. The Finnish early education curriculum demands that early education must promote gender equality. In order to fulfill these regulations it is important to examine the opinions that early education teachers have about gender and gender equality. This study is a qualitative educational study. My research material consists of three interviews with early education teachers. The material was collected in October 2017 by using semi-structured interviews. I analyzed the material using content analysis. First, I reduced the material and then classified it and finally abstracted it to get the results for my research questions. The interviewed early education teachers had different kinds of views about gender and gender equality. The views about gender were partly contradictory. On the other hand the interviewed teachers said that gender doesn’t explain the differences between children, but then on the other hand they said that typically the boys are more active and girls are quieter. The early education teachers also thought that gender is an important part of identity and children should have a clear view about their gender. Gender equality was seen as a goal or aim but also as concrete actions in everyday life. There were mentioned four main strategies for promoting gender equality in early education: self-reflection, discussions with the children about the topic, planning with colleagues and balancing the gender distribution of early education teachers. The results were mainly parallel to earlier studies. Further studies on the strategies for promoting gender equality are definitely needed.