ERIC Number: EJ697877
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 15
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0885-2006
EISSN: N/A
Male Teachers in Early Childhood Education: Issues and Case Study
Sumsion, J.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, v20 n1 p109-123 2005
Much of the debate about the desirability or otherwise, of attempting to address the gender imbalance in the early childhood teaching profession has been limited by a reliance on rhetoric rather than empirical evidence. The purpose of this article is to assist in shifting this debate to a more empirical basis by reporting findings from an exploratory empirical investigation of children's perceptions and gender positioning of their male preschool teacher. Children's drawings of their teacher and accompanying text generated in conversational interviews were analyzed inductively with the intent of gaining preliminary insights into whether the presence of a male teacher might challenge their gender stereotypes. Children focused mostly on typical teacher roles. Portrayals in which gender was salient reflected traditional gender roles and attributes. While it is difficult to draw definite conclusions from the study, for these children the presence of a male teacher did not appear to disrupt gender stereotypes. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.
Descriptors: Teaching (Occupation), Early Childhood Education, Teacher Role, Stereotypes, Preschool Teachers, Childrens Art, Gender Issues
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Publication Type: Journal Articles
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