From Laissez-Faire to Anti-Discrimination: How Are Race/Ethnicity, Culture, and Bias Integrated into Multiple Domains of Practice in Early Childhood Education?

Pedagogical approaches that aim to counteract discrimination and injustice have been identified as potential ways to reduce pervasive and persistent inequities in education outcomes, which emerge as early as preschool. Despite this potential, however, empirical research is limited and suggests a disconnect between recommended practices for counteracting bias in early childhood education and the implementation of such approaches in everyday classrooms. The goal of the present study was to examine the extent to which early childhood education centers identified as having an intentional focus on race, culture, and bias actually implemented practices aligned with this approach across five domains of practice: Visual/Esthetic Environment, Toys and Materials, Activities, Interactions, and Organizational Climate. We conducted classroom observations and focus groups with educators and administrators in five early childhood education centers. Practices within the five domains were interpreted on a continuum from laissez-faire to anti-discrimination. Results demonstrated that educators did not consistently engage in practices consistent with an anti-discrimination approach when addressing issues of race and culture. This study provides important insights regarding explicitly addressing race/ethnicity, culture, and bias in early childhood education in a comprehensive and proactive manner, with implications for educator training.