In South Africa, the recruitment and retention of men to teach in the foundation phase (Grade "R"-3) has gained national attention. In a patriarchal society such as South Africa, where such jobs are regarded as the purview of women, men's perceptions of gender and gender equality in schools might explain their existence at this level of…

This article aims to summarise research on this topic; analyse, reflect on and discuss earlier research on play and learning using a few empirical examples; and determine what constitutes an appropriate educational approach concerning war and weapon within an early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting. This is done by putting feminist…

This qualitative study investigated the perceptions of masculinity and fatherhood of male school leaders and their perceptions associated with leadership practice. We used purposive sampling to recruit male Israeli school leaders for participation in the study. We collected the data by semi-structured interviews, which we then subjected to…

Gendered norms construct teaching young children in Early Childhood Education (ECE) as a 'feminine profession' and as 'women's work'. Subsequently, men who teach young children are often scrutinised. One troubling factor confronting men entering the profession is the construction of men as potential paedophiles. Scholars in the Global North have…

Despite research (Cormier et al., 2022; Lindsay & Hart, 2017) highlighting the positive impact Black male educators have on Black students, and Black male students in particular, the representation of Black, non-Hispanic male teachers in the U.S. public and private K-12 teaching workforce remains notably low at 1.3% (Taie & Lewis, 2022).…

This article examines men's career decisions in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) using feminist post-structural agency theory that postulates a hybridization of 'male' and 'female' agentic factors. Anzaldúa's concept of "new mestiza" provides a theoretical foundation. The research focuses on the careers of three veteran male…

The purpose of this article is to examine how the discourse of childhood innocence masks the ways in which sexual violence by boys against girls is perpetrated in kindergarten. Findings from a year-long ethnographic study conducted in two Canadian kindergarten classrooms show that narrow understandings of gender and sexuality in childhood obscure…

This study explored male teachers' perceptions of their roles in early childhood education and their beliefs about their own professional development in shaping their careers. Although the participants' experiences are strongly influenced by strict gender roles in China, they appear to be consistent with the experiences of men across the globe.…

There is a lack of Black male teachers working with young children in early childhood education (ECE). This qualitative research investigated 23 Black male participants' beliefs about challenges to recruiting Black males to teach in ECE (birth-fourth) and recommendations to increase the number of Black males in ECE. Black masculinity identity…

Few studies have sought to understand the childhood play experiences of Black boys in early childhood education (ECE), and a majority of those that investigate them often socially construct Black boys' play as criminal, dangerous, and monstrous. Considering the dangers of hegemonic masculinity and femininity or the racial and gendered power and…

There is a persistent suggestion that the lack of men who choose to work with young children (0-5 years) is detrimental to children's learning and development. This study analysed whether practitioners believed that men who work with young children adopt specific approaches within a play pedagogy. Practitioner beliefs about how their gender…

According to recent statistics, fewer than 3% of early childhood educators are self-identified men. Thus, at a time when young children are constructing their identities and exploring gender roles and boundaries, opportunities for them to engage in authentic and meaningful learning experiences with both male and female teachers are scarce. The aim…

Many countries call for more men to be teachers in early childhood education and care (ECEC). In Sweden, the issue has been discussed since the early 1970s, but despite these discussions there is little Swedish research that examines the notions and expectations associated with male teachers. International research has found that perceptions of…

The teaching of young children or Foundation Phase (FP) teaching as it is known in South Africa continues to be regarded as 'women's work'. Lately South African research has focused on encouraging men's participation as FP teachers. In this paper, we offer a critical examination of how South African primary school teachers 'embrace' the need for…

The aim of the article is to explore norms about care and masculinity in early childhood education and care settings in Indonesia and Sweden. Building on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, it is shown how care in the two nations was produced as ambivalent for men, causing a risk of being accused of working with children for the wrong reasons. Two…