Kindergarten Students’ Receptiveness to Messages Conveyed by Counter-Stereotyping Picturebooks

The study explores kindergarten students’ receptiveness to messages conveyed by counter-stereotyping picturebooks and the effect of a curriculum integrating counter-stereotyping picturebooks to children’s approach of gender-associated stereotypes. A curriculum programme using specific themed picturebooks as a medium is implemented, focusing on gender-associated colours, toys, clothes, sports, occupations, and physical characteristics. To test the extent to which picturebooks’ messages influence kindergarten students’ gender associations, both the Experimental and the Control Group completed a semi-structured questionnaire before (baseline) and after the programme (Time 2). Results demonstrate significant changes in children’s gender associations after the programme. Data indicate notable shifts in perceptions regarding gender-associated toys, appearance features and occupational roles. Discussion of findings asserts that picturebooks’ counter-stereotypic messages influence kindergarten students in order to expand their gender associations and adopt counter-stereotypical gender perceptions. Hence, the need for integrating counter-stereotyping picturebooks into the preschool curriculum for approaching gender associations is highlighted.