Ethical awareness: a cross-cutting element in the intercultural skills of early childhood educators

Ethically responsible behaviour has been identified as a key element in the con- text of global citizenship education (UNESCO, 2015; Tarozzi, 2024). By integrat- ing the findings of a qualitative empirical study on the relationship between education and ethics with an investigation into the intercultural competences of early childhood educators, this article introduces the construct of ethical awareness as a transversal element between these domains. After exploring the intercultural competences of early childhood educators, using the compe- tence models proposed by Fiorucci and Deardorff as a point of reference, the article explores the research design and the concept of ethical awareness in formal educational settings for children aged 0-6 years. Finally, it examines ethical awareness as a transversal element in the field of intercultural compe- tence.