Upon deciding on a topic I knew I wanted to discuss feminism in the teaching profession because it was something that I was passionate about and that I experienced daily. I work in a preschool in which all of the directors and teachers are women, except one male teacher! I remember when the male teacher first joined our teaching staff it was what everyone was talking about. This struck me as disappointing. Why had I only had the opportunity to work with one male coworker? Why was it such a shock to see a male in the early childhood education setting?
To further my knowledge about feminism in the teaching professor I began researching books about the topic. I came across the book Women and the Teaching Profession: Exploring the Feminisation Debate by Fatimah Kelleher. It was perfect! This book discussed the why the profession has become gender imbalanced in favor of women, the impacts of this on learning processes and student education, and the implications of women's overall empowerment. Kelleher compares the feminisation debate across the US, Australia, and Canada, where women have been the majority in the teaching workforce for decades. Below I have summarized the comparisons and conclusions she made in her research:
To further my knowledge about feminism in the teaching professor I began researching books about the topic. I came across the book Women and the Teaching Profession: Exploring the Feminisation Debate by Fatimah Kelleher. It was perfect! This book discussed the why the profession has become gender imbalanced in favor of women, the impacts of this on learning processes and student education, and the implications of women's overall empowerment. Kelleher compares the feminisation debate across the US, Australia, and Canada, where women have been the majority in the teaching workforce for decades. Below I have summarized the comparisons and conclusions she made in her research:
Women and the Teaching Profession: Exploring the Feminisation Debate
By: Fatimah Kelleher
Hierarchical imbalances
- "Parallel belief that women teachers- largely due to their additional roles as wives and mothers- are less likely to want/be able to chase career advancement and entry into managerial positions."
- Men dominate managerial positions
- Display "proper masculinity" in leadership and management
- Association between maternity and teaching
- Negative connotations towards a woman teacher's academic and instructive capacity, professionalism, and potential career development
Loss of professionalism
- "Subsequent loss of prestige suffered by the profession following feminism."
- Increasing the number of male teachers with raise the profession's status and desirability as a professional career choice
Female teachers = Professional mothers
- Acceptable for a higher number of female teachers in primary education, where maternal qualities are considered acceptable, but these maternal qualities need to be replaced in secondary education with more academic vigor.
- "Boys need male teachers in order to do well in school."