Are early childhood educators in Southern Ontario being sufficiently prepared for teaching Indigenous students?

Research highlights the importance of inclusive and culturally responsive teaching. This study sought to understand to what extent Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in Southern Ontario. upon graduation from their pre-service programmes, feel they are prepared for teaching Indigenous students and supporting Indigenous families in an inclusive, culturally relevant environment. The study took a pragmatist, two-phase approach which consisted of a document review of Ontario Early Childhood Education college programmes, followed by an online survey in which recently graduated Early Childhood Educators were asked about their college experiences regarding education in Indigenous Studies. Of the 23 examined colleges, only I, or 4.34 per cent, offered a mandatory course in Indigenous Studies, and of the 34 surveyed Early Childhood Educators, only 8.82 per cent indicated they felt that their preservice training sufficiently prepared them for teaching Indigenous students. Consequently, there appears to be a gap in Early Childhood Education preservice training regarding Indigenous awareness and education. This study recommends that more research be conducted in this specific area, as the sample size for both phases of this study was small, and the apparent correlation does not equal causation; nevertheless, the resulting data from this study are alarming and provide an impetus for further research.