Feminising and masculinising primary teaching: a critical examination of the interpretive frameworks of male primary school principals in Hong Kong

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the feminisation of primary school teaching has been identified by the media and government officials in Western countries as an important contributing factor to boys' academic problems. This panic, which has been criticised by feminists as a backlash and a form of recuperative politics, has promoted the development of research into gender and education, particularly studies related to the gendered culture of primary schools and on the masculinities of male teachers. However, male primary principals remain relatively under-researched in the literature, despite the importance of their structural position and increasing concern over the masculinisation of school leadership. This paper aims to contribute to the discussion by critically analysing the interpretive frameworks of 12 male primary school principals. The findings reveal not only the complex, contradictory and at times culturally specific gendered discourses that some male principals employ, but also their feminising and masculinising effects on the school workplace and leadership.

Keywords:

• feminisation
• male principals
• primary schools
• leadership
• narrative strategies

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their very useful comments. She is also very grateful for the kind support and assistance that she has received from the three journal editors and the editorial assistant. This study was supported by a grant from the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong. The project title is Gender & Leadership: Life Histories of Female and Male Primary School Principals in Hong Kong, and the reference number is HKIED840209.

Notes

It should be noted that the percentage of female principals who were headmaster/headmistress I, i.e. principals heading a school with 24 classes or over and receiving a higher salary, was 51.9%, and the percentage of those who were headmaster/headmistress II was 52.2% in 2007 (Education and Manpower Bureau 2007–8). Apparently, women principals, although increasing in number, tend to populate the less senior position.