Male primary teachers and perceptions of masculinity

The drive to recruit more male primary teachers is an aim of several western countries, including England. One of the explanations for increasing the number of men teachers is to counteract the 'feminisation' of primary schooling. The assumption underpinning such a strategy is based on sex role socialisation theories which have been superseded by more sophisticated and complex understandings of gender identities. In an attempt to explore differences between the perceptions of male (and female) teachers, a national study investigating the attitudes of student teachers towards gender and primary schooling was undertaken. The findings indicated that male student teachers of upper primary children (7-11 year-olds) were more likely to be concerned about and supportive of traditional images of masculinity than those men who were training to teach lower primary pupils (3-8-year-olds).