Investigating the Perspectives of Early Years Professionals’ Anti-Racist Practices
Abstract
This qualitative case study explored the perspectives and experiences of early years professionals engaging in anti-racist practices in Ontario licensed child care settings. Critical race theory and whiteness studies were the guiding theoretical frameworks for the study. The qualitative case study draws from semi-structured interviews with four early years professionals working in licensed child care settings. Based on the experiences of the early years professionals, there seemed to be an overall lack of in-depth continuous anti-racist practices among the participants. The findings highlight that the participants engage in anti-racist work using play materials, videos, and discussion-based learning with children. Some participants noted a lack of deep understanding of anti-racism and, therefore, a lack of engagement in anti-racist practices. The themes that emerged from participants’ experiences helped to serve as recommendations for future directions of research and practice in early childhood education and care.