Men and Masculinities in Professional Fields Characterized by Femininity: An Example of Male Teacher Candidates in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This qualitative study delves into the perceptions and experiences of male students enrolled in early childhood education, a domain often considered feminine. The research aims to uncover these students' perspectives on their chosen profession and their encounters within it. Conducted at a state university in the central Black Sea region of Turkey, the study engaged participants from the fourth year of the preschool education program. A total of 12 male students, ranging in age from 21 to 24 years, were selected for the research. Over the course of 24 weeks, these students completed practical teaching sessions at a local kindergarten. Data collection utilized a semi-structured interview format, designed to explore participants' motivations for selecting the preschool education field and their lived experiences in relation to both their academic journey and their masculinity. The collected data underwent content analysis, guided by themes derived from participants' responses and aligned with the research questions. Inter-coder reliability was established by re-coding transcriptions of three randomly selected interviews, resulting in a reliability coefficient of 0.85—exceeding the recommended threshold of 0.80 for such analyses. This study contributes to understanding the perspectives of male students in a predominantly female-centric field, shedding light on their motivations, experiences, and sense of identity. It highlights the nuanced landscape of early childhood education and opens avenues for further exploration into gender dynamics within academic and professional realms.