Antiracist pedagogy in post-secondary early childhood education programs: a critical inquiry into eight graduates' perspectives

This critical qualitative research combines the narrative design of semi-structured interviews and artifacts collection to investigate what eight early childhood educators (ECEs) learned about antiracist pedagogy in their preservice ECE programs in Ontario. Researchers indicate that ECEs do not receive adequate education on antiracist pedagogy and may feel hesitant to address topics of race, racism and power in their practices. Guided by the theoretical framework of critical race theory (CRT) and antiracist education, the paper discusses the limitations of developmentalism and outlines the significance of preservice training on antiracist education. The findings reveal that all eight ECE participants did not learn anything explicit about antiracist pedagogy in their preservice ECE programs; rather, developmentalism dominated their postsecondary educational experiences. The study recommends that our postsecondary ECE programs need to move beyond a narrow vision of inclusion and developmentalism to envision childhood through diverse perspectives. Preservice postsecondary education must infuse antiracist pedagogy in its educational policies, hiring practices, and curriculum framework to counteract racism and advance social justice.