Mentalization in early childhood education: exploring teachers’ experiences of facilitators and barriers

Mentalization refers to the process of recognizing and interpreting one’s own and others’ internal mental states (e.g. thoughts, emotions). The significance of early parental mentalization has been well established, and while integral to responsive pedagogy, research on mentalization in early childhood education is limited, especially in teachers’ practice with infants and toddlers. This study explored early childhood teachers’ lived experiences of mentalization in their practice and their perceptions of the facilitators and barriers for mentalization. Employing a qualitative multi-method approach, this study examines observed and self-reported mentalization in the practice of eight New Zealand early childhood teachers working in infant and toddler rooms. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings present both the conditions that support mentalization(e.g. wellbeing, systemic structures), and the processes in which mentalization occurs (e.g. observation, collaboration). These findings illuminate how contextual and relational factors intersect to influence teachers’ capacity to mentalize. Teachers recognized a divergence between individual capacity and system constraints, underscoring the need for systemic and pedagogical supports that sustain reflective, relational practice in early childhood education.