Male Teachers in Elementary Settings: Perceptions of A Teaching Career

Abstract

This study explored the perceptions of teachers who identify as male/male of color teachers about their sense of competence and satisfaction with their choice of career working with young children in elementary settings. This study sought to answer questions about the perceived factors affecting their development as teachers of young children and the potential for improving the recruitment and retention of male teachers in the primary grades. Male and male of color elementary school teachers were invited to share their perceptions of their experiences related to becoming and being a teacher in the primary grades through a questionnaire and interviews. The study found participants felt that their experience as teachers was informed by uniquely gendered factors, such as their male and/or intersectional identities and the associated perspectives and experiences as well as by more global factors such as their commitment to their professional expertise as effective teachers. Overall, the study suggests that both gendered and global factors have implications for recruitment and retention given that they contribute to male and male of color teachers’ sense of competence and satisfaction teaching young children in elementary settings.