Men who become Primary School Teachers: an early portrait

Abstract This paper reports the findings of a study which sought to provide improved understanding of what motivates young men to choose primary teaching as a career and their experiences of their university course. It is hoped that the understanding so derived can be used to encourage males to enter the teaching profession at primary level. Sixteen new male graduates were interviewed, just over half had begun the education degree immediately after leaving high school. Working with children was a positive motivation, but teaching was also seen as a desirable career with good working conditions. Parents, both mothers and fathers, were supportive of teaching as a career for their sons. The university course became more interesting for these male students once they were involved directly in schools. They described themselves as less conscientious than female students, but as having interests other than study which gave them an edge in the classroom.