Becoming a scholar of children’s spirituality: an autoethnographic exploration of a multicultural journey through early childhood education

This paper uses an autoethnographic approach to examine my scholarly journey into the field of children’s spirituality. Initially trained as an early childhood educator in Venezuela, I reflect on my trajectory across socio-cultural contexts, from Venezuela to the United States, and how political and legal constraints have shaped my identity as a researcher and teacher educator. My journey begins in a socio-constructivist undergraduate teacher preparation program and continues through graduate studies framed in progressive education, alongside teaching experiences in early childhood classrooms and teacher education programs serving diverse communities. Reflecting on this path, I articulate how I came to a secular, inclusive perspective on children’s spirituality and consider how transpersonal education can support the nurturing of young children’s spiritual lives and inform emerging scholars and teacher educators.