Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 29, No. 2, Winter 2001 ( 2001)

Men in Early Childhood Education: Their Emergent Issues

Margaret H. Cooney1,3 and Mark T. Bittner2

Using a focus group approach, this study explored emergent issues for men in early childhoodeducation. Preservice teachers, classroom teachers, and male professors identified 6 categories ofissues including low salaries, family, and other influences on entering the field, teaching beyondthe basics, improving preservice education, recruitment of males, and advantages and disadvan-tages of males in the field. Implications of the study focus on ways to create gender-fair class-rooms.

KEY WORDS: male teachers; early childhood education; preservice education; gender-fair classrooms.

INTRODUCTION early childhood education. The triggering event thatprompted us to move from talking about the idea of a

Males teaching infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kin-support group to actually launching the project was a

dergartners, or even primary grades 1–3 have been adilemma experienced by Mark, the University Child

rare occurrence in our early childhood classrooms. AsCare Center director, during a professional development

traditional gender practices are questioned more andtraining conference. He was the only male participating

more within professional circles, the virtual absence ofin an infant-toddler summer institute at Wheelock Col-

men is worth exploring. We launched a project to ad-lege. Parents were discussing their infant and toddler

dress this topic in the fall of 1998. The project had sev-care issues as Mark and his female peers listened to the

eral objectives: 1) to study emergent issues experienceddialogue. One parent announced that she would never

by male students enrolled in our elementary/early child-permit a male teacher to change her child’s diaper; not

hood program; 2) to provide a support network amongeven the father was allowed to take on that role. When

males in our program currently or males who have al-the parents left, he was asked by the others how he felt

ready graduated from the program; and 3) to dialogueabout the comment. Once more, Mark was confronted

with other teacher education programs in the countrywith the feeling of being a minority member of the early

about our findings.childhood profession and all its accompanying biases

We held our first discussion group on campus andand conflicts. Mark made the statement to his peers that

invited all males enrolled in a dual major in elementary/he saw this as an ethical dilemma because the family’sculture seemed to prevent a male caregiver from doinghis job.

1Margaret H. Cooney is an Associate Professor and Department Head This article describes the issues that emerged dur-for Elementary and Early Childhood Education in the College of Edu-

ing the four, one-hour sessions for male students, malecation at the University of Wyoming.teachers, and male professors on our campus who were2Mark T. Bittner is the Director for the Children’s Programs Sponsored

by the Department of Family and Consumer Science in the College interested in talking about their experiences related toof Agriculture at the University of Wyoming. Margaret and Mark choosing a career in early childhood education. We vid-are members of the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Program at the eotaped the sessions with consent from the participants.University of Wyoming.

Mark and Margaret analyzed the videotaped content be-3Correspondence should be directed to Margaret H. Cooney, Ph.D.,tween each session and at the end of the year. We wereBox 3374, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie,

Wyoming 82072-3374; e-mail: cooney@uwyo.edu astonished at the compelling stories told by the partici-

771082-3301/01/1200-0077$19.50/0 2001 Human Sciences Press, Inc.

Cooney and Bittner78

pants and decided to write this article to raise awareness our group’s issues compare with issues addressed in theliterature.of the issues surrounding male teachers in early child-

hood education from the perspective of some maleteachers and preservice teachers.

WHAT WERE THE EMERGENT ISSUESFOR MALES?

HOW WERE THE SESSIONS ORGANIZED?There were six categories of issues identified by the

Margaret, as the early childhood coordinator and participants: low salaries, family and other influences onfaculty member in the college, sent invitations to all the entering the field, teaching beyond the basics, improvingundergraduate male students enrolled in the dual major preservice education, recruitment of males into the field,of elementary and early childhood education. Addition- and advantages/disadvantages of being males in a fieldally, recently graduated students with the dual major dominated by females. Some males prioritized these is-who were teaching children birth to eight in the local sues differently according to whether they looked atcommunity were personally contacted. Mark, as the di- them professionally or personally. The group agreed,rector of the campus children’s programs, knew some of however, that the issues were linked and overlapping inthe students who had completed one of their early child- their minds.hood practicum experiences at his sites. Mark facilitatedthe sessions and he and Margaret planned them. A roomin the education building was reserved and a speaker HOW DO LOW SALARIES AFFECT THE MEN?phone was set up for interested males at the other affili-

Low salaries were discussed by the men at everyated program in the state. The first three meetings werefocus group session. Two interconnected themes associ-set up with open discussion in mind. Mark used a list ofated with this issue emerged. The first theme centeredguiding questions generated by Margaret and Mark,around a public perception about the field of teaching asbased upon literature and men’s caucus sessions at-undemanding (e.g., summers off). They talked of thetended at the NAEYC Annual Conference (see Figureattitude of societal members toward teaching. One of the1). The fourth meeting was more structured and focusedparticipants in his first year of teaching with second andon a web task that Mark and Margaret developed basedthird graders in a multiage classroom at the college’s labupon the emergent issues from the previous sessions ofschool told the others about his barber.this specific group of men (see Figure 2). We will dis-

cuss the emergent issues first and then comment on howThere’s definitely that financial tradeoff. The guy thatcuts my hair criticizes teachers. “Oh, man, I’d neverteach those kids today. They’re freaking crazy. Weneed to go back to the basics, just chain them kids tochairs.” I just sit and listen to him and wow, my beliefs1. What influenced your decision to choose early childhood edu-are so different from his but they’re my beliefs. I thinkcation as an area of concentration? What age group (infants-that’s such a bleak outlook on not just education but thethird grade) do you hope to teach?future. I can’t believe people are so speculative about2. How have your peers, family, community members reacted toteachers. They’re the most important person in our soci-your decision?ety. Doctors are important but they had teachers. Every-3. How do you want to be treated in your field (just like every-one had teachers.one else, as a unique person, as a male)?

4. What do you believe you can contribute to this profession?After sharing his barber’s attitude, Dan made the state-5. What do you envision as the role of fathers, grandfathers,ment, “I would rather be happy than rich.” The groupother males, in children’s lives?

6. Do men in the field of early childhood education have a dif- that evening concluded that the salary is a primary rea-ferent perspective than men not in the field? son why males don’t go into teaching.

7. In the college early childhood classes, do you ever feel as The second related theme was an image the menthough you are treated differently by the instructor, peers, ad-

had of themselves as the family breadwinner. Sever-visers than males are treated in other college classes and cho-al of the men anticipated that their wives would staysen professions? What, if any, effect does being in the minor-

ity in the early childhood classes have on the way the course home with the children at least while they were young.is delivered? They wanted to be the sole provider for the family and

8. Is early childhood a profession you see yourself staying in or worried that the low salary would put their spouse andis it a path toward another career goal?

children in jeopardy. One of the married undergraduateFig. 1. Guiding questions for focus group meetings. student participants, whose father was a physician, de-

79Men in Early Childhood Education

Fig. 2. Emergent issues for men in early childhood education.

to spend the rest of my life doing something that I’mscribed his enjoyment of material things as a child andhappy doing or do I want to spend my life making a lotwanted to be able to do the same for his children evenof money?

while his wife was not employed outside the home. Inthe end, he stated, “I’m gonna have to sacrifice what I Others struggled with getting family approval. Onelike for what I love.” Mark and Margaret found this participant succumbed to his father’s desire to have himemergent theme especially interesting and also paradoxi- learn the electrician business by working with his fathercal. While the societal bias against teaching as a high- the year following graduation. It was Dan’s wife whostatus and high-paying career was disturbing to them, told him one day that she wanted him to go back tothe males in the focus group appeared to perpetuate soci- teaching because he was a different person when heetal bias against gender equity. taught, the person she married. Dan reported on her

words: “Every day you came home from [student] teach-ing and you had a story to tell me. I would rather youWHAT IS THE REACTION OF FAMILY ANDcome home and share your life with me and I can workFRIENDS WHEN MEN ENTER THE FIELD OFtoo.”EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION?

They moved back to the college community andThe backgrounds of the male participants varied in Dan took the job in the lab school while his wife took a

terms of support they received or failed to receive from university staff position. His comments included, “Ifamily and friends. Several of the participants chose the have an undying love of children. Teaching is my gift.”field because a member of their family was a teacher. Dan talked about the importance of having passion forOne of the teacher participants, two years out of college the teaching career and how he wanted to see otherwho taught kindergarten and then fifth grade in a rural males who were passionate about teaching and urged usschool, stated that his mother was an important influence to prevent students who were not enthusiastic about theon him. She supported his career choice throughout col- field from “slipping through” the undergraduate teacherlege and his first two years of teaching. education program.

When Mark asked the group, “Do your friends giveI had the support of my family. It was convincing my-you a hard time for choosing teaching as a career?” Theself that this was something I wanted to do and that the

money is not going to be the greatest. And do I want group responded in unison with a “yes” followed by

Cooney and Bittner80

laughter. Additionally, it was interesting that within the that their college classrooms often felt biased against themale student in choice of texts, in dominant perspectivesgroup only a couple of the men had male teachers when

they were in elementary school and neither of them were expressed in discussions, in chosen content. One maleeven pointed out that it’s not just the teacher editions ofparticularly influenced by that.school books that are biased but that the teaching objec-tives are also biased, in their wording when referring to

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TEACH BEYOND the teacher. Others stated that they hadn’t thought aboutTHE BASICS? it until now and their awareness was raised by the dis-

cussion. They speculated that some great male studentsThe men’s stories about being a teacher of youngare lost to the early childhood education field becausechildren often contained content that shed light uponof college classroom bias. The field experience contexttheir teaching styles. One of the themes that emergedand the issue of having a male or a female mentorfrom this content was a broad notion of what teachingteacher was important for several males. Matt stated thatentails. Several men described their comfort in sharinghe did not have any male mentor teachers and he wishedpersonal experiences with their class. Others talked ofthat he had. He did, however, seek out a male professorhow moral development was part of their teachingin the college to talk with about teaching in order to getagenda. Two student teachers said that they saw them-a male perspective. Troy, a student in Dan’s classroomselves as role models out in the community as well asfor an early childhood class practicum, reported hisin the classroom. Two more talked about their emergenthappy reaction when he found that there was a malecurriculum in that they learn from the students, takeprimary teacher listed as a possible field site for hisleads from their students, and even take risks in allowingcourse: “I saw a male teacher on the list . . . a guy!” Sup-a range of student issues to be discussed openly in class.port on campus for males enrolled in early childhoodMatt talked about the primary grade children’s concerneducation was discussed several times with a generalabout Kosovo events and how he changed his curricu-consensus that a group such as this was critical for theirlum plan or order to discuss the emergent current event:retention.

Matt: Professionally, I put teaching beyond the basics as mypriority. I know you know my frame of mind right now withall the testing coming out. That’s where I’m stuck right now. HOW CAN WE RECRUIT MORE MALESI want to get my kids beyond what they have to know. INTO THE FIELD?Mark: Is it easier for you being a male?

The stereotype that females/mommies are the nurtur-Matt: In some ways. Certain issues are easy to talk to kids ers and that males don’t do this emerged as a barrier toabout as stuff comes up. We spent time the other day talking recruiting males into the field. A strong recruitment toolabout this whole Kosovo thing. It was a spur of the moment

pointed out by the males was having at least one malething. I’m in a small [rural school] class with just six kids andteacher in every primary grade so that when male studentsI can do that kind of a thing. It was easy for me and the other

teacher out there who teaches primary said she’d never feel pass by the classrooms, they have someone to identifycomfortable doing something like that because she doesn’t with. It was seen as an affirmation of their career choiceknow what’s going on over there. I was willing to take the risk. to see another male who made the same choice.I’m not sure what’s going on either but we’re all going to bringin articles about it now.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGESOne male commented after a discussion in theAND DISADVANTAGES OF HAVINGfourth session addressing this theme that males seem toMALE TEACHERS IN EARLYbe storytellers rather than listeners. He wondered if gen-CHILDHOOD EDUCATION?der is a factor in the teacher’s approach to interacting

with the children. This is a theme we would like to ex- This issue was prioritized by many males to be per-plore in more detail. sonally and professionally important. It was the most

frequently discussed issue during the four focus groupmeetings. They stated in the first session that just being

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE PRESERVICEa male was not enough. If the student was a male and a

EDUCATION?good teacher, it could be an advantage. The existence ofmale role models in the preschool and primary gradesDuring the focus group sessions, the conversation

turned to the males’ undergraduate teacher education was considered to be huge for some children. Dan saidthat primary schools need a balance of male and femaleprogram experiences. Some of the men acknowledged

81Men in Early Childhood Education

teachers and that some children need a male teacher to tecinos and Nielson (1999) conducted in-depth inter-views with 40 white male students enrolled in anbe successful. He told a story about a child named Joey

who was scheduled to be in his second and third grade elementary teacher education program in the Midwest.They stated that the males tended to negate the role ofclassroom. The kindergarten and first grade teachers and

even the parents told him, “Watch out for Joey!” How- gender in their teaching while at the same time justifyingtheir presence in the classroom as providing a male roleever, Joey has turned out to be a leader in the class who

thrived on the teacher-child relationship. Dan also model. Additionally they found that the males reportedreceiving social validation for choosing elementary edu-shared a story about a male child who started singing

for the first time and how thrilled the mother was that cation as their career. A theme about using teaching asa doorway into occupations with higher status and finan-Dan’s enthusiasm for singing helped her boy feel com-

fortable with it. Two student teachers in primary grades cial reward was identified.DeCorse (1999) studied first-year male teachersin the same school remarked that as males they feel that

the children take more interest in them simply because and used two interviews and five hours of videotapedclassroom time to study participant perceptions of thethey are males. Jake commented that the children were

thinking, “Here’s a guy that cares about us.” The men first year of teaching. She reported that the males feltthat their entry into the profession was qualitatively dif-cautioned the group that a poor male role model could

do a lot of damage in the classroom and it is important ferent from their female counterparts. They reportedpreferential treatment, higher expectations for success,to be aware that good teaching is critical.

Disadvantages for males in early childhood educa- and no advancement limitations imposed on them.A study with white middle class preservice maletion were discussed in great detail. The feeling of isola-

tion within the college classroom and the school was teachers on recruitment and retention concluded thatmale teachers would be more likely to reinforce rathershared. Matt stated that he felt “alone with no one to

talk to” in his first teaching experience. He didn’t feel than disrupt gender stereotypes in the field of education(Cunningham, 1999). Cunningham speculated that nor-comfortable sharing some of his teaching issues and suc-

cesses with the female teachers in the primary unit. mative definitions of gender are perpetuated rather thanrewritten. He recommended that teacher education pro-The “touch issue” was raised by one of the males

in the focus group in the first meeting and the group grams address more aggressively the issues of diversityand gender equity embedded in teaching. Hyun andarrived at a way to address the issue. Mark’s experience

with female teachers asking him about his reaction to Tyler (1999) studied preschool teachers’ perceptions ongender differences and found that some teachers maythe parent who did not want a man to change her child’s

diaper made him feel “nailed to the wall.” Dan referred reinforce young children of both sexes for “feminine”rather than “masculine” behavior. For example, behav-to Mark’s story later in the session by saying that the

story “gripped me hard.” Troy, the student doing a prac- iors such as obedience rather than assertiveness werevalued in all children. They promoted the concept of aticum in Dan’s class, shared that he felt uncomfortable

when children spontaneously planted themselves in his gender-fair learning environment in order to benefit bothboys and girls.lap. His discomfort was not with the child’s action but

with what adults passing by the classroom might think. Research related to increasing father involvementin early childhood programs has uncovered issues re-One participant commented that he felt like he was

“fighting the line all the time.” The group, with the lead- lated to those experienced by men entering the profes-sion of early childhood education. Both Berger (1998)ership of Dan, decided that the key to addressing the

touch issue was to go slowly at the beginning of the and McBride and Rane (1997) promoted the concept ofa “father friendly” atmosphere in the early childhoodyear, using handshakes and then hugs as an option for

the children. They decided that building relationships of setting that does not shut men out. This includes display-ing posters and photos in the classroom that show mentrust with every child and every parent would go a long

way to allay the fears of everyone involved. interacting with children as well as communicating anexpectation that men will be involved in the child’s edu-cation. It means broadening the term of father to include

HOW DO THE EMERGENT ISSUES FORmen in children’s lives who are not necessarily the bio-

THIS GROUP COMPARE TO OTHERlogical father. McBride and Rane (1997) found that,

RESEARCHERS’ FINDINGS?contrary to public perception, many children from sin-gle-parent families or with high-risk factors actually hadTwo studies conducted by faculty at other institu-

tions did not identify the same issues that we did. Mon- regular contact with a father or male role figure.

Cooney and Bittner82

CONCLUSIONS room and in the early childhood setting in order for thisto happen? Questions such as these provide direction for

The topic of men in early childhood education isfurther research. The males in our study felt conflicted

clearly one that needs to be addressed. Mark presentedabout their family role as breadwinner and choosing a

our findings at the 1999 Annual Conference for the Na-profession with a low salary. Will this image of their

tional Association for the Education of Young Childrenrole in the family be modified based on their spouses’

where he had 50 male and female participants anxiousperspectives about female roles of mother and bread-

to discuss the perceptions, barriers, and breakthroughswinner?

that they have experienced related to bringing men intoAs our male focus group found, there are still many

the profession. They seemed to feel that our emergenthurdles to clear in terms of how males are viewed in

issues could be generalized to other places and groupsearly childhood care and education positions. Issues

in the country. The following quotation, from the booksuch as gender perspectives, cultural biases, and worthy

Getting Men Involved, expresses the group’s sense ofwages will continue to be issues until the care and edu-

where we are as a profession with this issue:cation of young children becomes a higher priority insociety.Our society is beginning to recognize both the inevita-

bility and the value of racial and cultural diversity. Butanother dimension of diversity is valuing the interests

REFERENCESand talents of both sexes, of recognizing the contribu-tions that both women and men can make to children, Berger, E. H. (1998). Don’t shut fathers out. Early Childhood Educa-and to one another in their work with children. (Levine, tion Journal, 26(1), 57–61.Murphy, & Wilson, 1993, p. 10) Cunningham, B. (1999). Hiring and retaining male staff. Child Care

Information Exchange, 125, 66–69.Decorse, C. J. (1999). Male elementary teachers’ professional induc-One of the issues from the above studies that partic-

tion: Glass escalator or everyman experience. Paper Presentationularly interests us is that of a gender-fair learning envi-at the American Educational Research Association Annual Con-

ronment. The males in our group acknowledged differ- ference, April 19–23, 1999, Montreal, Canada.Hyun, E. & Tyler, M. (1999). Examination of preschool teachers’ bi-ences between male and female teachers in the

ased perception on gender differences. Paper Presentation at theclassroom. They also talked about feeling isolated andAmerican Educational Research Association Annual Conference,

uncomfortable talking with female colleagues about April 19–23, 1999, Montreal, Canada.Levine, J. A., Murphy, D. T., & Wilson, S. (1993). Getting men in-their classroom issues. The notion of a college class-

volved. New York: Scholastic.room that was biased toward the female preserviceMcBride, B. A., & Rane, T. R. (1997). Father/male involvement in

teacher emerged. What would the group have to say early childhood programs: Issues and challenges. Early Child-hood Education Journal, 25(1), 11–15.about creating a gender-fair learning environment that

Montecinos, C., & Nielsen, L. (1999). Performing scripts of masculini-supports and encourages a balance between the behav-ties in elementary school teaching. Paper Presentation at the

iors traditionally attributed to females and males? What American Educational Research Association Annual Conference,April 19–23, 1999, Montreal, Canada.changes might need to take place in the college class-

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