This paper presents The Journey to Nova Reef, a digital storytelling application specifically designed to detect gender stereotypes in preschool-aged children (ages 4–6). While Genderalize is currently the only available DST platform developed to detect gender bias, it targets older children (ages 9–12) and is not adapted for early childhood contexts. Addressing this critical gap, the present study adapts the five-lens framework developed by Rubegni et al. (2019)—comprising Role, Embodiment, Personality, Agency, and Emotion—for a younger developmental audience. Grounded in cognitive and constructivist theories of gender development, the application engages children in simplified narrative tasks and decision-making prompts that elicit their implicit gender associations. Emphasis is placed on the Embodiment lens, with children assigning roles, actions, and toys to gender-neutral characters in ways that reflect internalized norms. The tool is intended for use in preschool classrooms, with educators supporting observation, interpretation, and pedagogical dialogue. Although the application has not yet undergone pilot testing, it represents a novel contribution to early childhood research and practice. Future directions include empirical validation and the potential expansion of the lens-based methodology. The Journey to Nova Reef offers a developmentally appropriate, engaging environment for raising awareness and fostering critical reflection on gender roles from a very young age.

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Children’s Gender Representations Through Digital Storytelling in Preschool Settings

  • Eleftheria Malisiova,
  • Despoina Kompoti

摘要

This paper presents The Journey to Nova Reef, a digital storytelling application specifically designed to detect gender stereotypes in preschool-aged children (ages 4–6). While Genderalize is currently the only available DST platform developed to detect gender bias, it targets older children (ages 9–12) and is not adapted for early childhood contexts. Addressing this critical gap, the present study adapts the five-lens framework developed by Rubegni et al. (2019)—comprising Role, Embodiment, Personality, Agency, and Emotion—for a younger developmental audience. Grounded in cognitive and constructivist theories of gender development, the application engages children in simplified narrative tasks and decision-making prompts that elicit their implicit gender associations. Emphasis is placed on the Embodiment lens, with children assigning roles, actions, and toys to gender-neutral characters in ways that reflect internalized norms. The tool is intended for use in preschool classrooms, with educators supporting observation, interpretation, and pedagogical dialogue. Although the application has not yet undergone pilot testing, it represents a novel contribution to early childhood research and practice. Future directions include empirical validation and the potential expansion of the lens-based methodology. The Journey to Nova Reef offers a developmentally appropriate, engaging environment for raising awareness and fostering critical reflection on gender roles from a very young age.