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“Head of the Class:

A Survey of Male Attitudes Toward


Teaching in Early Childhood
Education”

McKenna M. Keenan

www.menteach.org
Overview

 Persuasive Purpose
 Literature Review
 Theory
 Methods
 Findings
 Discussion
Persuasive Purpose

 The purpose of this study is to identify the attitudes


and perceptions of male early childhood educators,
currently working in the field, about their chosen
occupation. Little previous research has been
conducted on this topic, thus the information
gathered here will contribute to the sociological
knowledge as to why men chose an occupation that
is typically female; therefore, men are a minor in
their profession.
Literature Review
 Importance of men in Early Childhood Education
– Barnard (2000)
– Farquhar (1997)
 Scarcity of men
– Clyde (1997)
– Santiago (1999)
 Emergent issues for men
– Cooney and Bittner (2001)
– Rodriquez (1997)
 Recruitment and retention of men
– Cooney (2001)
– Farquhar (1997)
 Why men choose to teach?
– Santiago (1999)
– Rodriquez (1997)
Theory

 Masculinity
– Kimmel (1992, 1997, 2006)
 social construction theory

– Cohen (2001)

– Williams (2001)
Methods

 Procedure
– www.surveymonkey.com
– 27 question survey
– Open and closed ended questions
 Demographic, job satisfaction, career choice
– October 5, 2006- November 2, 2006
 Participants
– www.menteach.org
– 28 participants
– Ages 30-69; average age 48.39; 61% over age of 50
– Racial/ ethnic identity
– Level of education and training
Findings

Table 1: Age and Race of Early Childhood Educators


Race Age 30-39 40-49 50+ Totals

White 4 (14.3%) 3 (10.7%) 12 (42.9%) 19 (67.9%)

European 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%) 3 (10.7%) 4 (14.3%)

Other 1 (3.6%) 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%) 2 (7.1%)

Asian 1 (3.6%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%)

Native American 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%) 1 (3.6%)

African American 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%) 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%)

Totals 6 (21.4%) 5 (17.9%) 17 (60.7%) 28 (100%)

Table1
Teaching Experience
Findings
Table 2: Age and Years Teaching Ages 0-8 for Early Childhood Educators
Years Age 30-39 40-49 50+ Totals
Teaching
Ages 0-8
0-5 1 (3.6%) 1 (3.6%) 3 (10.7%) 5 (17.9%)

6-10 4 (14.3%) 1 (3.6%) 3 (10.7%) 8 (28.6%)

11-15 0 (0%) 2 (7.1%) 2 (7.1%) 4 (14.3%)

16-19 1 (3.6%) 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%) 2 (7.1%)

20-25 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (7.1%) 2 (7.1%)

26-30 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%) 5 (17.9%) 6 (21.4%)

31-35 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (3.6%) 1 (3.6%)

Totals 6 (21.4%) 5 (17.9%) 17 (60.7%) 28 (100%)


Findings

 Male presence in schools


 Location
Graph 1: Location of School

8, 32% 8, 32%

Rural
Suburban
Urban

9, 36%
Findings

 factors affecting decisions to enter the field


– Administration dissuade ECE
– More opportunities in ECE
– Signing bonuses
– Hiring more males
 Salary
 Influences
Findings

 Graph 2: Social Factors Influencing Male Educators

20 19 19
18
16 15
14 13
12
10 Yes
8 7 No
6 6
5 Unsure
4 3
2 2
1 1 1
0
Parent Local American Isolated
Support Community Society
Positive Positive Negative Negative
Findings

 Mannerisms and accusations


 Why became a teacher?
– “I wanted to impact children's lives in a positive way. In
many families, there are no males. With families becoming
split, and the mother raising the children, many children
need a male influence in their lives. Studies show that if a
child has a male role model, then the child will benefit from
it later in life.”
 Why ECE?
– “I am a kid magnet. When I decided to go back to school,
the requirements for elementary school were restrictive both
with money and time. I enjoy the freedom of ECE.”
Findings
 any stereotypes and/ or biases
– Negative: “Some female colleagues have assumed that I would not want to
diaper children or would not want to work with babies, just because I was a
male.”
– Positive: “I've been lucky in that I haven't faced anything but positive biases in
my work. If anything, I'm beginning to feel like it's just one more benefit I get
simply for being male. People frequently say, ‘It's so good they have a male
presence in the room.’”
 benefit children differently than females
– “We have a different level of communication along with a different approach to
working with children. We may be filling a void where there is no positive male
role model.”
 New research
– “Debate, discussion on these issues is what is necessary to professionalize us
all and identify fears involved with difference and our own bias.”
– “This is an issue of diversity and of improving the lives of children and
families.”
Discussion

 Provide a new, diverse, and positive role model


 Age
 Lack of male educators
 Discrimination
 State of ECE profession
– “Our society is beginning to recognize both the inevitability and the
value of racial and cultural diversity. But another dimension of
diversity is valuing the interests and talents of both sexes, of
recognizing the contributions that both women and men can make
to children and to one another in their work with children (82).”
Cooney (2001)
 Children first
QUESTIONS?

Thank you.

www.menteach.org

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