The purpose of this study was to explore the racial awareness of Turkish five-year-old children through multicultural picture book activities focusing on race.
The research question established to achieve the purpose of this study was as follows:
Re...
The purpose of this study was to explore the racial awareness of Turkish five-year-old children through multicultural picture book activities focusing on race.
The research question established to achieve the purpose of this study was as follows:
Research Question 1. What characteristics of racial awareness are displayed by Turkish five-year-old children during multicultural picture book activities focusing on race?
This study employed a qualitative research approach. The participants were ten five-year-old children and two classroom teachers from two kindergartens located in Konya and Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye. The study was conducted from February to April 2026. Five multicultural picture books addressing race-related themes were used during picture book reading and small-group discussions. Data were collected through video recordings and transcriptions and analyzed using Hatch’s (2008) interpretive analysis method.
The findings of the study were as follows.
First, the children tended to recognize race primarily through visible physical characteristics such as skin color, hair color, eye color, and facial features. In particular, skin color was used as the main criterion for distinguishing similarities and differences between themselves and others.
Second, although the children had experienced people with different skin colors directly or indirectly through daily life and media exposure, they sometimes expressed a sense of distance or unfamiliarity toward people with different appearances. Limited experience with certain racial or cultural groups appeared to influence their perceptions and understanding of those groups.
Third, the children perceived language differences as a potential barrier to friendship and interaction. However, they also suggested alternative ways of communication, such as gestures, drawings, and play activities, demonstrating their awareness of the possibility of overcoming communication difficulties.
Fourth, differences in racial awareness were observed according to regional context. Children who had more opportunities for multicultural experiences and interactions tended to show more concrete and accepting perceptions of others, whereas children with limited experiences relied more heavily on external physical characteristics when understanding race.
Taken together, the findings indicate that Turkish children's racial awareness is initially formed around visible physical characteristics but is gradually shaped and expanded through social experiences, cultural environments, and interpersonal interactions. The study suggests that multicultural picture books can serve as meaningful educational tools for helping young children develop a more positive and inclusive understanding of racial and cultural diversity.