Men times ten: does the presence of more men support inclusion of male educators in early childhood education and care?

Abstract

Her research focuses on families and caregiving, childhood development, and gender dynamics in the home and at work from a sociological perspective. Her current topic areas of research include technology and sleep within the family context, gender, and men in ECEC, and the experiences of families of children with a disability.

Leadership in Australia’s early childhood workforce policy: Silences and ambiguities as missed opportunities

“…Issues relating to the ECEC workforce are well documented in relation to: attraction (Gibson et al, 2020; Thorpe et al, 2011) retention (Fenech et al, 2021; Grant et al, 2019; Horwood et al, 2022; Jones et al, 2017; McDonald et al, 2018; McKinlay et al, 2018; Thorpe et al, 2020a) and attrition (McMullen et al, 2020; Sumsion, 2002) of early childhood educators and degree qualified teachers and others employed in ECEC (including leaders). A subset of these studies look explicitly at degree qualified teachers (Fenech et al, 2021; Gibson et al, 2020; Grant et al, 2019; Jones et al, 2017; McKinlay et al, 2018; Sumsion, 2002) and research is emerging looking at attraction and retention of men in ECEC (Brody et al, 2021; Kirk, 2020; Sullivan et al, 2022). Leaders however, have not been considered as a distinct group in relation to factors that impact on attraction and retention.…”