Prospectus: The Lack of Male Educators in Early Childhood Education

Problem Statement

The lack of male teachers, especially in early childhood education (ECE), has become prevalent across the globe. Piburn (2015)that most male educators seek to occupy positions in higher education giving room for the female gender to dominate early childhood education. The California Department of Education (2015) stated that the ratio of male to female teachers remains wanting as there is a stereotypical notion that teaching is a female-dominated field. James (2013) suggested that the lack of the male teachers in elementary school is mostly because the teacher needs patience implying that males might not have the patience to deal with younger children. In addition, the author points out that the focus on recruitment of female educators makes the male students lag behind in school, which contributes to the low number of students attaining the qualifications needed to further their education (James, 2013). A survey recently conducted by the National Education Association (NEA) indicated that male teachers at the elementary level account for only 5% in the ECE level and 25% of all teachers in the different education levels (Piburn, 2015). Such an imbalance has also been reported in other studies and reports. For example, a report released by the Productivity Commission (PC) shows that in 2015, the commission was planning to employ about 14,000 elementary teachers, where men accounted for only 4.5%, which is 6,300 male educators across the United Sates (Peeters, 2015). The figure below provides a summary of the number of male teachers in the sector, from which it is fair to conclude that that there has been an acute shortage of men in the education sector (Skelton, 2010).

Figure 1: Percentage of Male Teachers as of 2014

As indicated in Figure 1, the percentage of males in education was considerably different depending on the level of education being provided. The number of male teachers is significantly lower in the initial education levels: Childcare and Kindergarten. The table presents data derived from by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2015 and indicates the limited number of male educators in different education levels. The table is part of the statistics derived from the study by Murano, B. S. (2014). From the table, one can deduce that the preschool and kindergarten level have limited number of male educators.

Research has shown that the pyramid of educators is inclined towards the female gender as most male educators seek to occupy positions in higher education, while female gender dominates early childhood education. According to Farrell (2014), gender imbalance in the childcare workforce in the U.S. among many other countries continues to result in a wide range of social challenges. For example, it has led to a substantial percentage of young children who have little contact with men, with some children completely lacking any positive male role models in their lives (Pirard, Schoenmaeckers, & Camus, 2015). Considering that modern society is focusing more on equality issues than ever before, it is a concern to find that in regions such as Europe, where male workers account for less than 1% of the childcare workforce, most children have no contact with men between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Pirard et al., 2015).

The need for recruitment of male teachers in ECE level is a critical issue that needs to be considered by education administrators. Peeters (2015) agrees that it is vital to have men involved in the lives of young children. Despite the recent reforms that have been made in an effort to attract more men into the ECE sector, statistics highlighted in the previous section make it clear that the lack of male teachers at the elementary level both a national and a global concern. Most males are not interested in this profession because of a number of presumed factors. As Pirard et.al. (2015) noted most of the men choose to pursue secondary education instead of elementary education, an aspect that has led to an acute shortage of the number of male elementary teachers currently working full time. This shortage of male elementary teachers, despite the reforms made in the education sector, is a critical component that needs to be addressed in order to close the gender gap. Research supports the need for having a male figure in early childhood to promote appropriate emotional, social and cognitive development (Faulkner, 2011).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the main factors that contribute to the shortage of male teachers in early childhood education and determine ways through which the issues will be addressed. The lack of male role models in the early years of a child’s life is considered to have a significant implication on the child’s future social adaptation and learning (Faulkner, 2011). As indicated in the previous section, there is a shortage of male educators in the ECE sector across the country and the globe at large where in the United States male workers account for less than 5% of the childcare workforce (Piburn, 2015). In order to resolve this lack of the male educators in the ECE level, there is a need for additional research for further analysis and interpretation.

Significance of the Study

There is a gender gap in early childhood education. The gap exists due to the lack of male educators in early childhood programs. In the assessment of the statistics that contribute to poor male representation, there is the need to offer practical solutions to this problem. This study will provide information that will assist in identifying the seriousness of the problem of shortage of male ECE educators in a local California school system by seeking the perspectives based on some of the educators in the region. The results of this research could offer evidence that early childhood education is a meaningful, positive, and socially significant career for men. The information collected from this study will be valuable in that it will evaluate first-hand data from the educators in Western California in light of current research from various governmental and educational databases.

This research may also provide the general public with an understanding of the appropriateness of having males in early childhood education. In the educational setting, the teachers and educational administrators will be given access to information that will assist in changing the environment and including the male teachers. Maintaining males in ECE has been made difficult by the traditional stereotype that hinders men from pursuing careers in early childhood education. Peters (2015) explains that it is imperative that a study of this nature be carried out to properly demystify the situation. It is my goal in conducting this study, to determine the factors that influence low male presence in ECE. The research findings could assist in the attraction of the male educators in the sector by influencing change locally, which may affect a larger region.

Background Literature

The sources of information as used in the review of literature are described below:

Peeters (2015) tackles the aspect of gender imbalance in the classroom, while Piburn, Nelson, and Carlson (2011) further evaluate the gender inequality in the classroom.
Leão, Oates, Purdy, Scott, and Morton (2015) address the nature of imbalance of male ECE teachers in the classroom.
Sumsion (2015) further addresses the issue of male educators in the Sargent (2011), Piburn (2013).
Van Laere, Vandenbroeck, Roets, and Peeters (2014), and Mitrano (2014) address the stereotypes with regards to the ECE field.
Aviv (2012) addresses salaries as one of the issues that leads to the lack of balance in the sector. Hutchings et al. (2012) also evaluate the issue of salaries in the ECE sector.
Rice and Goessling (2015) further assess the issues that members of society raise with regards to the inclusion of male educators in the ECE field.
The NAEYC (2012) cite the various needs that need to be assessed with regards to the factor.
Levine, Murphy, and Wilson (2013) show that men can also take care of the children at a young age.

Literature Review

As Peeters (2015) suggests, male educators are not common in early childhood classrooms, an aspect that has made many researchers attempt to discover why this gender imbalance exists. Piburn, Nelson, and Carlson (2011) evaluate the influence of the factors of gender inequality in the education sector and how it has affected the way through which the children perceive the male roles. The research carried out indicates that one of the main causes of gender imbalance in early childhood education is the traditional stereotype that all nurturing roles in the society are attributed to women.

Previous research on the lack of male figures in early childhood education shows that there are three main reasons why men rarely commit to early childhood education as a career, or why they do not stay in the profession. First, Leão, Oates, Purdy, Scott, and Morton (2015) suggest that most male educators do not commit to early childhood education due to the low remunerations earned by early childhood educators. The second reason is stereotyping by the society, where most male educators avoid early childhood education or abandon their jobs to maintain their status in the society. Another reason why there are very few male educators in early childhood education is that there is a possibility of male workers in early childhood education being accused of child abuse or inappropriate behavior as it was the case of Peter Ellis in 1992 (Leão et al., 2015).

through billable hours, which will attract the male teachers into applying for the jobs. The author further adds that the need for the teachers’ unions to look into the increment of the teacher’s pay, which will attract the males into the profession. Additionally, it is important that a man’s masculinity remains intact; men are seen to be content in jobs that can otherwise be described as being low status. Aviv (2012) adds that the creation of the manageable payment schedules will assist in developing the quality of education in the institutions.

Sumsion (2015) suggests that the main reason why there are few male educators in early childhood education is the traditional stereotype that people have on what men and women are meant to do for work. It, therefore, comes down to traditional gender roles and gender stereotyping. Early childhood education has traditionally been considered as women’s work (Sargent, 2011). Other members of society go to an extent of terming ECE as an extension of mothering. An early childhood educator is seen as a caring and nurturing person that is not synonymous with what men are supposed to be in the society (Sargent, 2011).

In line with these findings, Van Laere, Vandenbroeck, Roets, and Peeters (2014) cited closely-related factors as leading attributes of the low number of men in ECE. In the study, it has been noted that the aspect of feminism in the work environment has affected the applications for work in the sector by the male counterparts. Having male educators in the ECE environment has a positive outcome on the role models that the children have. It is important that the children, especially boys, need a father figure and a male influence. Though this is a positive compliment, critical analysis of the statement shows that male educators are not complimented on their skill or knowledge, not even on their good engagement with children, but rather on their gender and the effects, it has on the children (Van Laere et al., 2014).

Sargent (2011) suggests that the male biology is enough to make him good in ECE. This also lowers the morale of the rest of the team that is not “blessed” with the male gender. They work hard to become skilled in the field and disparage female educators who are passionate and skilled from working in the team. This, therefore, brings in the question as to whether or not there are any men in the profession who are positively influencing the well-being and education of children for reasons other than their gender (Sargent, 2011).

In line with this, Rice and Goessling (2015) state that a number of families have expressed more comfort and happiness with female educators than with male educators, especially when infants are involved. Cases have been reported of families expressing concerns of male educators changing their children’s diapers. While such cases have called for the education of parents on the policies of the organizations, as well as the need for expressing to all educators, it has led to some men in the profession feeling inadequate or challenged to complete the task (Rice & Goessling, 2015).

NAEYC (2012) cites the need for education and having a balance between the male and female educators in the system. Research has shown that the best way to challenge misconceptions about male educators is to perhaps embody change in the practice by recruiting and employing more males in early childhood programs. It is the lack of images and experiences in the society showing positive engagement with men with children that result in the fear of male educators working with them. This has actively led to fewer men working with children. Therefore, fewer families get to see it as a normal practice (NAEYC, 2012).

Piburn (2013) found that men simply do not want to work in the early childhood education sector and even view it as “women’ work,” a myth that is apparently very much embedded. It carries a label that implies it is a sector that only women are well fit to perform, have performed and should perform in the ECE sector. For those men who decide to engage in the profession nonetheless, they find the label to be an incentive to regulate not only their engagement with the children, but their behavior (Piburn, 2013).

It is difficult to explain this concept to individuals who have never been part of a minority. Male educators in early education explain that what is perhaps the most difficult part of their job is understanding that they are always being scrutinized (Mitrano, 2014). According to the author, caregiving is a job that is mostly attributed to women, which affects the perceptions that the society has on the male educators. Society is filled with images of women offering care and nurturing children, while men on the other hand, are often viewed as a danger to children. This is the case, especially for men who exhibit a nurturing relationship with children, which is outside the male “masculine” stereotype (Levine, Murphy, & Wilson, 2013).

Finally, some argue that wages and status are the main factors leading to the low number of male elementary teachers. The cause of the problem is also thought to be the attitudes of those already working in the field, be it the women, the few men, or the fact that early childhood education is not considered a high-status job. Hutchings et al. (2012) explain that almost any other job would earn an individual more money. Some men argue that this is the main reason they would not venture into the field

Early childhood teachers have been found to earn almost $20,000 less than their various counterparts in public schools (Hutchings et al., 2012). The justification of the pay that the teachers receive is an important factor that assists in the management of the application by the male counterparts. The men are expected to be providers in the family and the little pay is often seen as being unsustainable for their families, having them opt for better-paying careers. Gartrell (2014) suggests that an increase in pay and status is likely to make more men pursue a career in early childhood education.

Conceptual Framework

The following theories will provide the theoretical foundation for this research study; to identify the main factors that contribute to the shortage of male teachers in early childhood education and support ways through which the issue will be addressed. The first theory is the Symbolic Interaction Theory, a model that relies on the symbolic meanings that people rely upon during the social interaction process (Blumer, 1969). The theory was developed by an American philosopher, George Mead in the 1920s (Aksan et al., 2009). Mead’s theory supports the general view that education of young children is “women’s work.” Since research states that people view the roles of the early educator as being a women’s role, society has embraced the idea that the early childhood education profession is a career for women. Care and nurturing are seen as women’s roles and therefore, any job that requires the same will often be given only to women by society (Aksan et al., 2009). With the feminization of the education system, Aksan argues through the use of secondary qualitative information, that the social aspects in interaction have an effect on the behavioral outcomes of people. The symbolic interaction theory supports identification of the factors that have a significant implication on the inclusion of males in the teaching profession.

Farquhar (2012) seeks to explain the disparity between men and women in early childhood education as the Feminist Theory. As the name suggests, gender is the main component of this theory. This theory analyzes the statistics of both men and women in society and uses the knowledge to improve the lives of women. This theory is mostly concerned with giving women a voice. In this case, however, it seems that women are being empowered at the expense of men. Gender inequality is a major concept of the feminist theory (Farquhar, 2012). With the limited inclusion of the male gender in the teaching profession, it is important that the analysis of the perspectives of those currently in the profession be assessed depending on the perspectives presented. Through the assessment of the research problem, the evaluation of the limitations in the inclusion of men would assist in the management of the influence they have on teaching.

Drudy, Woods, and O’Flynn (2015), explained that in this case, however, inequality is seen to favor women. They explain that society today has unilaterally decided that early childhood education is no place for men. Families feeling uneasy with male educators caring for their children are common, which explains why women have dominated the field. While liberal feminists argue that women have the capacity to accomplish everything that men can. However, the argument leaves no room to argue that the same should be true for men and everything that women can do so can a man (O’Brien, 2012).

The Functionalist Theory, which traces its roots to the work of Emile Durkheim (Lynch, 2011) will be addressed to further explore the importance of male role models in a child’s life. Durkheim was interested in how the order in society is maintained or remains stable. Functionalism defines how segments of society contribute to the stability of society as a whole (De Zurko, 1957). Men and women are part of the society and should therefore work together to bring stability to it as each play an active role in society. Stability in the roles of men and women in society can only happen if each gender fulfills their roles. It is for this reason that society seems to be so apprehensive in accepting men into ECE (Lynch, 2011). The position of a male early childhood educator is not broadly seen as a stable and acceptable role for men. Employing the functionalist theory in this research will assist in managing understanding of the gender inequality of males in ECE.

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model will be used in the study to show how the implication of the experiences and interactions that people undergo help to determine the development of individual abilities. The researcher will address how the environment affects the behavior of the individual. The behavior of a person is shaped by one’s surroundings, be it within the family or school or at work (Bronfenbrenner, 2009). Bronfenbrenner’s theory is relevant to the research issue; the importance of a male role model in a child’s developing years. In the ecological model, the microsystem consists of the immediate environment that the child is exposed to and how the child reacts to the people in his or her life. The lack of exposure to a male educator at the ECE level will be addressed based on this model. Ecological systems, according to Bronfenbrenner, affect the rate of the development of the child and the traits and behaviors they have based on the immediate environment in which they are exposed (Goelman, 2011).

The foundational theories selected to support this research each address aspects of society which may be responsible for the overwhelming lack of men in ECE. These theories were chosen as the foundation for this research to determine what affects the inclusion and exclusion of individuals (Aksan et al.).

Research Questions

In order to address the identified problem of gender inequality in the ECE field, the following research questions have been developed to address the research problem. The questions used to evaluate the gender disparities in ECE practice. The following questions will be used to guide the research process.

What are the main factors that contribute to the shortage of male teachers in Early Childhood Education in Western California?
How will the issue of balance in recruitment be handled by those recruiting early education teachers?
Are stakeholders aware of best practices in the promotion of gender equality in the recruitment of educators especially in ECE?

Nature of the Study

This qualitative study will seek to answer the research questions through a series of interviews. In this study, a sample size of 16 participants will be involved, who will be selected to answer the interview questions with regards to the topic. The main source of collecting data will be personal interviews. The selection of the participants will be conducted from a school in Western California and the effectiveness in application of the research. The selected sample size is within the recommended sample size range for qualitative studies. According to Marshall and Rossman (2014), qualitative studies should have a smaller sample size, ranging from 15 to 40 respondents. Participants will be selected using a stratified sampling technique where the target population will be divided into different subgroups (strata) then randomly selected. Adoption of this sampling technique will play a leading role in minimizing biases and in improving validity and reliability of the collected data.

Intended data will be collected from the participants through a series of open-ended interviews and the use of semistructured questions. This will help in identifying more and new insights about male educators in ECE. The data collection tools will be used to gather information on the social impact of traditional stereotypes. Like many qualitative studies, the collected data will be analyzed using thematic analysis approach, where the researcher focuses on pinpointing and elaborating the main themes that will emerge in the course of conducting the study (Marshall & Rossman, 2014; Creswell, 2013). By analyzing the data collected in this study, I will identify the participants’ understanding of the reasons for the lack of male educators in early childhood education. The data collected from teachers, parents, and administrators will be captured and triangulated to ensure accuracy and authentication in data analysis.

Possible Types and Sources of Data

The primary source of data for this study will be interviews conducted with early childhood teachers, elementary school administrators, and parents with children in early in Western California. The interviews may also be used to seek opinions of early childhood stakeholders (elementary school administrators, teachers, and community contributors) on ways to recruit men and the issue of gender equality in the ECE level at the local education facility. In addition, whether there is a perceived need for male teachers and if there is perceived effect of the male to female ratio on the quality of education received by the students will be examined. Interviews will be helpful in the assessment of the perspectives of the individuals in the study (Vogt, Gardner, & Haeffele, 2012). As a way of promoting validity of the collected data, the researcher will apply the triangulation technique, a powerful tool that facilitates authentication of the collected data through cross verification from two or more sources (Guion, Diehl, & McDonald, 2011). In this regard, the researcher will compare data collected from interviews in an effort to establish the authenticity of the study based on common themes raised by different respondents.

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Van Laere, K., Vandenbroeck, M., Roets, G., & Peeters, J. (2014). Challenging the Feminisation of the Workforce: Rethinking the Mind–Body Dualism in Early Childhood Education and Care. Gender & Education, 26(3), 232-245. doi:10.1080/09540253.2014.901721

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Go into Google Scholar and pull up the original (old) article. You see where this article was quoted in other articles. Then the search those newer dated articles to see if what was said in the new article that you want to say in your capstone. Make certain that the newer dated article is from a peer-reviewed source and read the new article. You just cannot start listing new journals and articles unless you have read them!

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