Sex Differences and Attitudes towards Permanent Part-time Work in Education

Abstract

The typical stereotype of the part-time teacher is that they are: married females who are currently employed as casual teachers, without job security; married females employed on a full-time basis wishing to work on a part-time basis; or unemployed married females seeking to enter teaching who are unable to obtain full-time teaching positions. The composition of the part-time workforce is diversifying away from this stereotype in many fields. Many single and married males now express a preference to work on a permanent part-time basis. This study examined the comparative perceptions of a random sample of male and female primary teachers regarding the costs and benefits that would be associated with the introduction of permanent part-time teaching (PPTT). The most important finding was the high degree of support for PPTT among male primary teachers. These findings challenge the widely held stereotype that only females want to work on a PPTT basis. Such results also demonstrate the magnitude of social and economic change that is occurring in education labour markets.