The presence of male teachers in Early Childhood Education and Care: challenges to break gender in a feminized profession

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Worldwide, the scarce presence of male teachers in early childhood education centres has been largely attributed to the social construction of the Early Childhood Education profession as a job for women. Data provided by the National Institute of Statistics indicate that Spain has no more than 4% of male professionals in this sector. Despite this, international political narratives highlight the need to incorporate men into this educational sector. The aim of this research is to identify and interpret the gender imperatives that perpetuate the difficulty of access and permanence of men in the Early Childhood Education profession. METHOD. Qualitative research is designed in which semi-structured interviews are carried out with six university students of the Early Childhood Education Degree of the Universities of Jaén and Granada. RESULTS. The results of this work show that men alone cannot solve the problem of gender relations in Early Childhood Education. In fact, as they navigate in a feminised profession, they feel constantly observed and pressured to respond to this personal and occupational choice. DISCUSSION. Gender imperatives permeate the Early Childhood Education profession. Nevertheless, educators position themselves as referents of a change characterised by the rupture of the hegemonic code of masculinity.