Entrances and exits: changing perceptions of primary teaching as a career for men

Abstract

The number of men in teaching has always been small, particularly in early childhood, but those that do come into teaching usually do so for the same reasons as women, namely enjoyment of working with children, of wanting to teach and wanting to make a difference to children"s lives.However, in two separate studies Thornton & Bricheno (2006) have shown that on beginning teacher training in 1998, and at the point of leaving the profession in 2005, men and women tend to emphasise different concerns. This article will explore those differences and seek possible explanations for how men"s views of teaching might be changing over time.

The Challenges Faced by Male Primary Teachers

“…Many participants in this study mentioned the building of relationships with parents and students as being vital to their ability to cope with the fear and uncertainty they experienced in relation to physical contact. The importance of male primary teachers gaining acceptance from the parents of their students has been noted by previous research on male primary teachers (e.g., Mills et al, 2008;Thornton & Bricheno, 2008). It appeared that participants believed that the development of this trust and rapport would make them less vulnerable to false accusations of inappropriate behaviour and ensure that their school community viewed them as different to the high profile paedophiles seen in the media.…”

Critically Discuss the Policy and Research Evidence Which Examines the Role of Men in Early Childhood Education and Care

“…Although female teachers are severely hampered by the low wages and long-time work when choosing the ECEC profession, men can be suffered more because they may be under pressure to be a 'breadwinner' of a family (Gambaro, 2012). Thornton and Bricheno (2008) highlight in their report that men are more likely to choose the type of job with a higher wage and are easier to leave one job because of the low pay. However, on the other hand, men can take advantage of the 'glass escalator', a well-known phenomenon of men rising to a better-paid position such as the head teacher, if they choose to leave the classroom (Owen, 2003).…”

Mapping Gender Segregation in Pre-Primary and Primary Education in Cyprus

“…Data presented in the table are categorized by type of school (private vs. public), post, and type of employment (full-time vs. part-time). Thornton and Bricheno (2008) suggest that when men enter the teaching profession, they tend to move up the career ladder, "disproportionally occupying higher paid and higher status positions" (p. 718). Comparing the number of male and female teaching and management personnel, data confirm that assertion.…”

“…Such arguments may lead to assumptions that pupils should be gender matched with teachers (Skelton, 2012) or that boys should be taught in single-sex schools with strong male role models (Thornton & Bricheno, 2008). The need for more males, however, is and should not be founded on assertions that view men as a homogeneous group and reproduce stereotypes.…”