Rewards, Risks and Tensions: Perceptions of males enrolled in an early childhood teacher education programme

Abstract

This article describes the perceptions held by a group of male early childhood student teachers concerning the potential rewards and risks entailed in their non-traditional career choice, and the gender-related tensions they encountered in their pre-service programme. Although these men hoped that their involvement in early childhood education might contribute to long-term gender reform, their accounts indicated that each had difficulty articulating a consistent perspective about gender and gender-related issues. The article highlights the need for early childhood teacher education programmes to address gender issues, and considers implications for teacher educators seeking to increase the participation and retention rates of pro-feminist males with potential to contribute to gender reform.