On Gender Perspective and SEL: Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions of Gender in Early Childhood Education

This study examines how the early childhood education system responds to gender and feminist shifts and whether Social–Emotional Learning (SEL) frameworks in preschools address them. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 preschool teachers to investigate their perceptions of gender and feminism and explore how gender dynamics manifest within their educational practices. The central research question examines the preschool teachers’ feminist perceptions as well as the role which gender occupies in their pedagogical work. The findings reveal a disconnect between an explicitly stated liberal feminist stance on gender equality and its practical translation into feminist pedagogy. Very few educators directly address gender issues, indicating a critical need for professional guidance to help them integrate feminist discourse into preschools and foster meaningful dialogue. Furthermore, given that early childhood education remains an exclusively female-dominated domain, a societal re-evaluation is necessary regarding both paternal involvement and the recruitment of male educators. The study concludes that to develop social–emotional learning that promotes in-depth gender perspectives, both teacher-training institutions and professional development frameworks must provide didactic tools to successfully implement this approach in early childhood settings.