Men teaching young children:<i>“you can never be too sure what their intentions might be”</i>

Moosa, Shaaista; Bhana, Deevia

doi:10.1080/03054985.2019.1644995

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…These descriptions align with research that shows male primary teachers endure constant suspicions about being sexual predators and child molesters, and that male primary teachers are acutely aware of these dominant cultural perceptions (e.g. Cruickshank et al, 2022; Mills et al, 2008; Moosa & Bhana, 2020). Wernersson (2016) has argued that images of the male primary teacher as a ‘paedophile threat’ is a dangerous symbol of masculinity, pushing men who support gender equality and progressive forms of masculinity away from teaching young children.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 75%

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Changing masculinities? Using caring masculinity to analyse social media responses to the decline of men in Australian primary school teaching

Hookway

Cruickshank

2022

Journal of Sociology

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Commentators have predicted that Australian male primary school teachers will be extinct within 50 years. Drawing upon sociological ideas about the emergence of ‘caring masculinities’, this article qualitatively examines popular Australian understandings about male primary school teachers, their importance, why they are declining and whether, and how, this gender imbalance can be addressed. The study analyses data from 541 comments posted in response to nine online media pieces on male primary school teachers in Australia. The article shows that commenters believe men teaching young children experience stigmatised masculine identities but misplace the cause of this as the result of women and anti-feminist ‘anti-male bias’ rather than the constraining impact of hegemonic masculinity. The article suggests that until more caring and progressive forms of masculinity are culturally and economically valued in Australia we will see little change in the numbers of men entering primary school teaching.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 75%

“…The need for male role models to 'rescue' boys' masculinity has been critiqued for its essentialising gender logic and for undermining the work of female teachers in the profession (e.g. Connell, 2002;Moosa & Bhana, 2020;Skelton, 2012).…”

Section: The Gender (Im)balance In Primary School Teachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing masculinities? Using caring masculinity to analyse social media responses to the decline of men in Australian primary school teaching

Hookway

Cruickshank

2022

Journal of Sociology

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“…Homosexual men are often portrayed as feminized-men, regardless of individual characteristics (Connell, 1995), and discourse erroneously conflating homosexuality with pedophilia has amplified the "pedophilic threat" surrounding men who want to teach young children (Berrill & Martino, 2002;Cushman, 2008). In this way, rhetoric about pedophilia has become a gatekeeping mechanism to deter all men, but particularly those who do not represent hegemonic versions of masculinities, from the teaching profession (King, 2004;McGrath, 2019a;Moosa & Bhana, 2019). Although it may be increasingly difficult to do so, encouraging diverse groups of men to work as school teachers may promote the acceptance of alternative masculinities while legitimizing the role of men in children's lives.…”

Section: The Societal Level: Alternative Masculinitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Plight of the Male Teacher: An Interdisciplinary and Multileveled Theoretical Framework for Researching a Shortage of Male Teachers

McGrath

Moosa

Bergen

et al. 2019

The Journal of Men’s Studies

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In this article, four researchers from Australia and South Africa consider why it is important for primary schools to include both male and female teachers. The authors refute previous calls directed by public and political discourse, for male teachers to enhance boy’s educational outcomes or to act as role models or father figures. Instead, the authors present a theoretical framework that justifies calls for male teachers at four levels: the child level, the classroom level, the organizational level, and the societal level. While complex barriers may continue to limit male teacher representation, the authors hope that this interdisciplinary framework might stimulate further international scholarly discussions about the interactions between teacher-gender, education, and culture.

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“…Ngezile's and Nyembezi's comments highlight and uphold the power of dominant social discourses in their communities that devalue care work and consider it to be a low status option for men (see Bhana, 2016;Msiza, 2020). Socio-cultural norms maintain the belief that FP teaching is feminine work (Moosa & Bhana, 2020;Msiza, 2019) and SGBs thus sustain the feminised discourse of FP as Pitsoe and Letseka (2013) have pointed out. They rationalise their decision because they believe that jobs related to authority and power are reserved for males while caring jobs are for fitting for females (Cameron et al, 1999;Cruickshank et al, 2018).…”

Section: Societal Perceptions Take Precedence In School Governancementioning

confidence: 98%

"They would not like it if men taught in the foundation phase": SGBs' perceptions of the employment of male FP teachers

Kagola

Khau

2021

J. educ. (Univ. KwaZulu-natal)

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Efforts to recruit and retain men in the Foundation Phase (FP) teaching and learning have been made all over the world. In South Africa, School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are tasked with the responsibility of diversifying schooling by recommending to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) the employment of teachers in all educational phases. Two and a half decades after the dawn of democracy in South Africa, the teaching of children in the early years is still dominated by women. This study explores how SGBs in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa approach the employment of male teachers in FP. Using a qualitative research approach, we used a semi-structured focus group discussion to generate data with five SGB parent-component members. We analysed the data thematically and found that SGBs' employment of male FP teachers is based on societal constructions of gender over employment policy guidelines. The SGB members showed a lack of policy understanding and at times misinterpreted the policies. These findings have implications for education policymakers and teacher training institutions in facilitating the smooth incorporation of males into FP teaching.

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Men teaching young children:“you can never be too sure what their intentions might be”

Cited by 20 publications

References 30 publications

Changing masculinities? Using caring masculinity to analyse social media responses to the decline of men in Australian primary school teaching

Changing masculinities? Using caring masculinity to analyse social media responses to the decline of men in Australian primary school teaching

The Plight of the Male Teacher: An Interdisciplinary and Multileveled Theoretical Framework for Researching a Shortage of Male Teachers

"They would not like it if men taught in the foundation phase": SGBs' perceptions of the employment of male FP teachers

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