Gender and Affectivity Awareness in Kindergarten: An Educational Pathway for Boys, Girls and Their Teachers

The issue of gender identity education is at the heart of learning processes related to the equality-disparity dichotomy, positioned longitudinally between the various levels of education and generating broad debate on educational and social levels. Gender and affectivity education appears fundamental to promote positive relational interactions among young people, freed from stereotypical models that are often internalised in the cultural circles to which they belong. In the Italian educational context, there are few concrete teaching experiences on these topics, despite research showing the importance of presenting these topics from earliest childhood. This paper presents a research-action pilot project involving 40 four-year-old boys and girls and their teachers at two municipal kindergartens in north-eastern Italy. The educational pathway showed that boys and girls clearly distinguish between male and female, although the distinction does not concretely affect their choice of characteristics, attitudes, preferences and emotions. As concerns educational figures, the study revealed a significant training need, involving the teachers themselves in understanding and deconstructing gender stereotypes.