The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase education

In the context of the foundation phase, where women tend to dominate, the increasing numbers of male students entering teaching programmes for this phase of schooling has generated considerable praise, as well as criticism. This paper explores the views of two first-year foundation phase (FP) studen...

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Main Author: Nadine Petersen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Education Association of South Africa 2014-01-01
Series:South African Journal of Education
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002014000100002&lng=en&tlng=en
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author Nadine Petersen
author_facet Nadine Petersen
author_sort Nadine Petersen
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description In the context of the foundation phase, where women tend to dominate, the increasing numbers of male students entering teaching programmes for this phase of schooling has generated considerable praise, as well as criticism. This paper explores the views of two first-year foundation phase (FP) student cohorts at a Johannesburg university about male teachers in the FP. Student responses to two open-ended questions formed the data for this study, with qualitative content analysis procedures used to make sense thereof. Findings indicate an uncomfortable tension between the 'good,' the 'bad', and the 'ugly' in student perspectives of male teachers in the FP, where the 'good' is reflected in recognition of the valuable role of males in countering the effects of absentee fathers; the 'bad' in the various reasons provided for male's unsuitability as teachers of young children; and the 'ugly' in the dominant association ofmales with the perception ofa threat ofsexual abuse and molestation, much of which is attributed to increased media coverage and public awareness of abuse in schools. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ramifications hereof for teacher education and for the profession.
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spelling doaj.art-348ad470ee244a7f999380ad9a9316d12022-12-22T01:16:16ZengEducation Association of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Education2076-34332014-01-01341113S0256-01002014000100002The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase educationNadine Petersen0University of JohannesburgIn the context of the foundation phase, where women tend to dominate, the increasing numbers of male students entering teaching programmes for this phase of schooling has generated considerable praise, as well as criticism. This paper explores the views of two first-year foundation phase (FP) student cohorts at a Johannesburg university about male teachers in the FP. Student responses to two open-ended questions formed the data for this study, with qualitative content analysis procedures used to make sense thereof. Findings indicate an uncomfortable tension between the 'good,' the 'bad', and the 'ugly' in student perspectives of male teachers in the FP, where the 'good' is reflected in recognition of the valuable role of males in countering the effects of absentee fathers; the 'bad' in the various reasons provided for male's unsuitability as teachers of young children; and the 'ugly' in the dominant association ofmales with the perception ofa threat ofsexual abuse and molestation, much of which is attributed to increased media coverage and public awareness of abuse in schools. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ramifications hereof for teacher education and for the profession.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002014000100002&lng=en&tlng=enfoundation phase teachingmale teacherspre-service teacher recruitment
spellingShingle Nadine Petersen
The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase education
South African Journal of Education
foundation phase teaching
male teachers
pre-service teacher recruitment
title The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase education
title_full The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase education
title_fullStr The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase education
title_full_unstemmed The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase education
title_short The 'good', the 'bad' and the 'ugly'? Views on male teachers in foundation phase education
title_sort good the bad and the ugly views on male teachers in foundation phase education
topic foundation phase teaching
male teachers
pre-service teacher recruitment
url http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002014000100002&lng=en&tlng=en
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