GREEK ADULT LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON GENDER ROLES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PLAY

Authors

  • Andriani Pantzi Secondary Teacher PE 87.09, Directorate of Secondary Education of Eastern Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Maria Stamatoglou Assistant Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, University of West Attica, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i7.6880

Keywords:

gender, early childhood play, adult student perspectives

Abstract

The present study investigates the perceptions of adult students in the third grade of the “Infant and Toddler Care Assistant” specialization regarding the gender dimension of children’s play. Adult learners represent a distinct category of students, as one of their defining characteristics compared to minors is that they approach learning already possessing established perceptions, values, and beliefs (Kapur, 2015; Kokkos, 2005). The study presented was conducted during the 2024–2025 academic year with the aim of designing an appropriate educational intervention within the course “Infant and Toddler Education (Theory & Laboratory)”, targeting the elimination of educators’ gender stereotypes in children’s play. The sample consisted of eleven female students and one male student, aged 35–50, attending an evening vocational high school (EPAL) in Eastern Thessaloniki. Data were collected through two “diagnostic teaching” activities (Stylianou-Georgiou & Chatzianastasi, 2022), combined with the “focus group” research method (Vrasidas, 2014). Gender roles are often highlighted in ECEC research as the persistence of stereotypes (Blaise & Taylor, 2012; Lynch, 2015). The influence of teachers and educational staff in shaping gendered stereotypes within children’s play (Carlson & Meyer, 2014; Chapman, 2016; Mikkola, 2008, 2022) is emphasised in research. Freeman’s (2007, p. 357) findings describe how young children construct gender perceptions in the early years of life, how they reframe play activities based on gender by the age of three, and how they can anticipate parental views regarding gender-based and cross-gender play. Adults tend to transfer gender stereotypes into different types of toys and activities (Cannizzaro, 2019; Freeman, 2007). Girls are often encouraged to play with dolls, kitchen toys, makeup, and beauty accessories, while boys are more frequently offered construction tools, weapons, superhero, and explorer toys (Cannizzaro, 2019). The findings indicated that the majority of participants held prejudices and stereotypical beliefs concerning gender in young children’s play. The findings of the study underline the necessity of targeted educational interventions to raise awareness and reduce gender bias among future early childhood educators as well as early childhood educator assistants.

Author Biographies

  • Andriani Pantzi, Secondary Teacher PE 87.09, Directorate of Secondary Education of Eastern Thessaloniki, Greece

    Andriani Pantzi, M.Ed. is a permanent educator in Secondary Vocational Education in Greece and a researcher in adult education and intercultural education. She holds a B.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and Educational Design from the University of the Aegean and a B.Ed. in Early Childhood Care from the Technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Athens. She earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the University of the Aegean and a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Education and Mediation from the University of Nicosia in collaboration with the University of Patras. Her research interests focus on adult education and intercultural education. Her Orcid identification number is 0009-0007-0252-0420.

  • Maria Stamatoglou, Assistant Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, University of West Attica, Greece

    Dr. Maria Stamatoglou has been recently appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, University of West Attica. Prior to this post she has served as an Academic Fellow at the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care at the International Hellenic University. She has also collaborated with several universities in Greece and the UK, including the University of Sheffield, London Metropolitan University, the University of Wolverhampton, the Open University (UK), the University of Macedonia, and the former Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki. She is an academic and researcher in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), with extensive teaching, research, and publication experience in Greece and the United Kingdom. Her Orcid identification number is 0000-0001-5639-9370.

References

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Cannizzaro, R. (2019). Exploring Perceptions on Gender in Early Years Among Kindergarten Teachers. https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/163393. [Accessed the 11th of September 2025, 10:00]

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Published

2026-07-20

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 7 (2026)

Section

Articles

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