Defining children’s spirituality through mentions of the intangible and God: Demographic patterns among U.S. early childhood educators

Building on previous research, this study investigates the demographic characteristics of U.S. early childhood educators who define children’s spirituality through the lens of the Intangible or God. The data analyzed were collected from 559 early childhood educators across all 50 U.S. states, including Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., who completed the validated Early Childhood Educators’ Spiritual Practices in the Classroom instrument (ECE-SPC). Data were collected between May 2022 and February 2024 as part of a larger, ongoing mixed-methods study exploring how early childhood educators nurture children’s spirituality in the classroom. Findings from the 513 participants who responded to Q7 revealed that educators working with predominantly minoritized students were less likely to incorporate the Intangible in their definitions of children’s spirituality. Those who were more likely to include it in their definitions were teachers from rural areas. Additionally, teachers who defined spirituality as a belief in God were more likely to have a high school or equivalent education. Moreover, an understanding of God varied across three demographic categories: teaching experience, teacher’s race, and teaching setting. Teachers with more than 31 years of experience, multiracial teachers, and those from religiously affiliated schools (less than 1% of participants) were all more likely to include an understanding of God in their definitions. By identifying these demographic patterns, this study provides insights into who conceptualizes children’s spirituality from a transcendent or faith-based perspective, contributing to broader discussions on spiritual development in early childhood secular education.