Men in the Early Years of Learning: Using a Collaborative Collage to Re-imagine Caring Masculinities amongst Male Foundation Phase Teachers in South Africa

Men’s participation in feminine professions such as teaching in children’s formative years in the Foundation Phase (FP) has opened possibilities for researching and rethinking tenets linked to education, disrupting images of stoicism and power surrounding masculinities. This paper reports on a qualitative participatory visual methodological study that explored six male FP teachers’ conceptualisation and practices of care in their schooling environment and how these influence their everyday lives. Using participatory visual method collaborative collage to generate data, results show that male FP teachers’ caregiving approaches, described as “Tenda-love”, challenge traditional masculinities by prioritising emotional connection, trust-building and non-violent discipline over authoritative control. However, despite their commitment to nurturing young learners, these teachers face societal scrutiny, gendered scepticism and assumptions that question their suitability for early childhood education. Their narratives highlight the tensions they navigate in a profession historically associated with femininity, shedding light on the broader implications for gender inclusivity in education. The findings call for the reimagining of masculinities in education, where men in caregiving roles are valued and supported rather than scrutinised and marginalised. Moreover, it further calls for teacher education programmes to actively promote gender-inclusive pedagogies that validate and encourage diverse expressions of care.