An Exploration of Representation of Racially Minoritised Characters in Children’s Books in UK Primary Schools

Brownsword, Sarah (2025) An Exploration of Representation of Racially Minoritised Characters in Children’s Books in UK Primary Schools. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This research is an exploration of the representation of racially minoritised characters in children’s books used in UK primary schools, with a focus on schools in Norfolk and Suffolk, which are predominantly White areas. It looks at how often these books are included in teaching, what teachers know about them, where their knowledge comes from, and what the implications of representation in children’s literature are.

Through the lens of Critical Race Theory and Critical Multicultural Analysis, a mixed-methods approach was taken, which included a national questionnaire for primary school teachers, semi-structured narrative interviews, and an analysis of the children’s books commonly used in classrooms. A new analytical framework was developed to support teachers in assessing how racially minoritised characters are represented in these stories and to create useful narrative summaries of the analysed books.

The findings of this research show that although there is a growing recognition of the importance of representation of racially minoritised characters in children’s literature, teachers’ subject knowledge about books featuring racially minoritised characters varies greatly. This is sometimes shaped by their own reading habits, limited by curriculum guidelines, and influenced by external factors such as book awards and social media. In addition, access to these books is often limited by school budgets and a reliance on published schemes that may not prioritise representation.

This research intends to bring to light the need for more and better teacher education that goes beyond list sharing and supports teachers in how to choose, and importantly, how to use books featuring racially minoritised characters. It finishes with recommendations for policy and practice and suggests areas for further research. Overall, this research emphasises that all children in UK primary schools deserve representative and inclusive reading experiences facilitated by knowledgeable, confident teachers.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	19 May 2026 08:52
Last Modified:	19 May 2026 08:52
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103084
DOI:

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