TEACHERS' PERCEPTION ABOUT MALE PARTICIPATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Abstract

Men are important in Early Childhood Education (ECE) because they provide male role models and father figures, particularly for children from single-parent families. Males bring in a work dynamic that is different from that of their female counterparts, and their presence in ECE ensures gender balance. However, there is a poor representation of men in ECE all over the world, which may have to do with the perceptions of all stakeholders (teachers, parents, school owners, among others) at this level of education about male teachers in early-years classrooms. This study, therefore, examines the perception of teachers of male participation in ECE as educators or caregivers. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The sample was made up of 120 pre-primary teachers randomly selected from Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. One self-designed questionnaire, tagged 'Teachers' Perception of Men in Early Childhood Education Questionnaire' (0.78), was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-test and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for data analysis. The results revealed that the perceived factors influencing male participation in ECE include cultural views about male and female roles in child upbringing and low status ascribed to pre-primary school teaching. It also showed that male participation in ECE could be encouraged by the provision of male lecturers and mentors for male pre-service teachers in teacher training institutions. It was recommended that all stakeholders in education should encourage male participation in ECE through an enabling environment for men to thrive in the profession.