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Questioning Questioning Assumptions About Male Assumptions About Male
EducatorsEducators
Janice Wallace, PhDJanice Wallace, PhD
Educational Policy StudiesEducational Policy Studies
University of AlbertaUniversity of Alberta
How can we increase the number How can we increase the number of male elementary teachers and of male elementary teachers and male role models to enhance the male role models to enhance the learning success of boys… learning success of boys…
What is driving the high interest What is driving the high interest in this question?in this question?
Is there a clear link between Is there a clear link between the learning performance of the learning performance of boys and male teachers?boys and male teachers?
There are a complex set of inter-related economic, social, and political factors that are at play in the choices males and females make when considering a career in education.
Males contemplating teaching positions that are most stereotypically attached to female interests are caught between
•the feminized expectations for working with young children• traditional masculine ideals• and unchallenged homophobia that fuels fears about men working with young children.
Male elementary teachers often compensate by assuming a hyper-masculinized persona (Connell, 1989, Francis & Skelton, 2001) or simply leave teaching to find jobs in more traditional grades for male teachers (Ferguson, 2005).
Sex of Survey Participants
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Number 64 277 341
Percent 19 81 100
Male Female Total
Making the Making the decision to decision to become a become a teacher…teacher…
First Time Decision to Become a Teacher
0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00% 45.00%
Elementary School
Secondary School
Undergraduate
Degree
Other
Male
Female
Teacher Education - Teaching Route
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00%
Early Childhood
Education
Elementary
Secondary
Other
Males
Females
Gender/Age Cross-tabulation
AgeTotal
20-25 26-30 31-35 36+
Gender
Male
Count 22 22 13 7 64
% within Gender
34.4 34.4 20.3 10.9 100.0
% within Age
13.7 18.6 41.9 23.3 18.8
Female
Count 139 96 18 23 276
% within Gender
50.4 34.8 6.5 8.3 100.0
% within Age
86.3 81.4 58.1 76.7 81.2
Total
Count 161 118 31 30 340
% within Gender
47.4 34.7 9.1 8.8 100.0
% within Age
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
School Setting/Gender Crosstabulation
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Rural
Urban
Female
Male
Did you consider other Did you consider other professions?professions?
Males … 61/64 or 95% considered Males … 61/64 or 95% considered and many had prepared for or and many had prepared for or participated in other professions/jobs. participated in other professions/jobs. None said that they always wanted to None said that they always wanted to be a teacher.be a teacher.
Females … 219/277 or 79% said they Females … 219/277 or 79% said they had considered and some had had considered and some had prepared for or participated in other prepared for or participated in other professions. 4 said they always knew professions. 4 said they always knew they wanted to be a teacherthey wanted to be a teacher
What What influences influences the the decision decision to become to become a teacher?a teacher?
Positive Influences for Becoming a
Teacher
Positive Influences
Females Males
Number
PercentNumbe
rPercent
Parents 172 62.1 27 42.2
Relatives 82 29.6 17 26.6
Neighbours 3 1.1 0 0
Friends 103 37.2 23 35.9
Elementary Teacher(s) 132 47.7 19 29.7
Secondary Teacher(s) 131 47.3 38 59.4
Guidance Counselors(s) 20 7.2 1 1.6
Media 7 2.5 5 7.8
Other 68 24.5 21 32.8
Negative Influences for Becoming a Teacher
Negative Influences
Females Males
NumberPercent
Number
Percent
Parents 30 10.8 10 15.6
Relatives 27 9.7 11 17.2
Neighbours 11 4.0 7 10.9
Friends 36 13.0 20 31.3
Elementary Teacher(s) 29 10.5 3 4.7
Secondary Teacher(s) 49 17.7 7 10.9
Guidance Counselor(s) 24 8.7 2 3.1
Media 108 39.0 28 43.8
Other 41 14.8 5 7.8
What do beginning teachers What do beginning teachers say about encouraging more say about encouraging more
males to think about teaching?males to think about teaching?
Suggestions from beginning teachers for attracting more males to
elementary teaching
56%of Females156/277
59 % of Males
N=38/64
Increase status/pay 19 %19 % 28 %28 %
Break down stereotypes 1010 1515
Recruit through guidance courses, media, visits to classes, etc.
1414 88
Change work environment to reflect male norms/provide support/services
8.58.5 1515
Stress positive role of teacher in elementary 9.59.5 88
Preferential admission to elementary/Incentives
2.52.5 1010
Change program to include placements at all levels
66 88
Stress benefits of work environment 33 00
Fear of predatory charges 44 00
Meet women 33 55
QUESTIONS ?QUESTIONS ?