Some Impediments to Male Elementary Teachers

Race, Sexual Orientation, Culture and Male Teacher Role Models:
Will Any Teacher Do As Long As They Are Good?
By Dr. Douglas Gosse
This research paper was presented as part of the
Conference proceedings at EDGE Conference, St. John’s, NL, Oct. 16, 2009

BIOGRAPHY: Douglas Gosse is Director of the Northern Canadian Centre for Research in
Education & the Arts (NORCCREA) at Nipissing University and an Associate Professor in the
Faculty of Education. His research interest include men's studies, masculinities, queer theory, arts-based educational research (ABER), diversity, identity, male teachers, and teacher expectations. He is the author of Jackyta , a novel (2005) and editor of Breaking silences & exploring masculinities, A critical supplement to the novel Jackytar (2008). His website is located at: http://www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/douglasg/index.htm and he may be emailed:
douglasg@nipissingu.ca

Here are some interesting fragmentary pieces from a piece of research by Dr. David Gosse et al, the resources for which are listed below.

In Ontario, and similarly in most areas of Canada and the United States, men represent only one in
ten primary/junior teachers, and fewer than one in three secondary teachers (Bernard, Hill, Falter, & Wilson, 2004). In Canada, according to Statistics Canada (Staff, 2008a), the total of full time and part time teachers stands at 108,267 male and 267,788 female; There is also a majority of female administrators in education nationwide with 29,015 total of whom 13,680 are male and 15,335 female. Likewise, reports from teacher organizations in British Columbia (Staff, 2007/08), Prince Edward Island (MacRae, 2008), and New Brunswick (Robichaud, 2008) confirm both a preponderance of female teachers and administrators. This is contrary to persistent yet erroneous popular beliefs and publications regarding male dominance in educational administration. Consult, for instance, Coulter & McNay (1995) who base their assertions about male patriarchal administrative dominance in education on research from the 1980s, including Women and men in education: A national survey of gender distribution in school systems (Rees, 1990), as does Martino (2008b) citing Teachers: The culture and politics of work (Lawn & Grace, 1987), and an English context, thereby selectively ignoring current data that decries the implications of the lack of male teachers in England as role models for boys.1
Furthermore, research on men’s experiences in teaching is often framed in a discourse of “backlash” against women’s progress and equity (Martino, 2008b), and encapsulated in a supposed “myth” of the boy crisis (von Drehle, July 26, 2007). Such rhetoric is an attempt to silence research on boys and men, and maintain problematic yet widespread theories of patriarchal hegemony that permeate every aspect of society from media and popular culture to our educational, medical, and legal systems. Ultimately, there is passionate disagreement over the issue of engaging more male teachers.

Another fragment: In England, the number of male school teachers is running at a historic low of 13 per cent in primary schools and 41 per cent in secondary schools, with more than a quarter of primary schools not having a single male teacher, and nearly 5000 staffrooms populated solely by women (Clark, July 13, 200

After setting out both an abstract, and a methodology, Dr. Gosse and his team rely on on-line surveys and face-to-face interviews for their "raw" data, and apply some very unique lenses through which to view their responses.
For the lay person, the paper discloses some very sophisticated observations about the experience of male elementary teachers in Ontario including:

• a cultural bias of ideological feminists against anything male, including males themselves,
• a trend to placing "difficult" students in classrooms with male teachers, leaving all the "compliant" and conforming students in classrooms with female teachers, 
• a cultural phobia against male teachers with young children because of the "danger" of inappropriate sexual behaviour, a potential criticism not experienced by female teachers

For a PDF of the full paper, link to this e-address:

www.mun.ca/edge2009/displaypapers.php?id=61

Glossary:
Ideological feminism: Nathan & Young (2001) assert that ideological feminism presents all issues from the point of view of women and, in the process, explicitly or implicitly attacks men as a class.
(Gosse posits : ideological feminism is reductionist and infused with essentialist dogma
towards boys and men, even as paradoxically many ideological feminists challenge essentialist views of
girls and women.)
androgenophobia,  the prevalent societal conviction that maleness, the male
body, and male sexualities are somehow unclean, perverse, and menacing,
erastephobia,  a pervasive expectation and fear of impending pedophilia by males in general, and male teachers in the schools in particular, in ways and to a degree unlike female colleagues (Gosse, 2009).

ABSTRACT: There is a perceived shortage of males in education provincially and nationally in Canada, particularly at the primary and junior levels. Some barriers to males becoming teachers include the impression that teachers are overworked and underpaid, that men are less nurturing than women, and that it is inappropriate for men to be working with young children due to perception of their dangerous sexualities. Also, boys progressively score less well than girls on provincial, national, and international achievement tests in several areas, and some link this to the shortage of male role models in our schools. Ultimately, increasing numbers of researchers, teachers, administrators, and members of the public identify the need for more men to serve as role models, which has resulted in significant controversy. My theoretical framework derives from queer theory, questioning the fluidity of discourse and identities, and troubling accepted, commonplace beliefs, knowledge, and practices. To this end, I interpret data from an online survey of 223 male primary/junior school teachers in Ontario, Canada. The results are startling, and call into question some commonly accepted truths about male teachers as role models. In particular in this paper, I will critically address male primary-junior teachers as role models along the lines of race, sexual orientation, and culture, regarding two popular ideologies: firstly, that of good teachers who can supposedly teach all pupils regardless of their own identity markers, and sense of agency, or those of their pupils and larger communities, and secondly, notions of diversity to offset hegemonic male gender expectations, and to better reflect diversity in the broader school and social populations while
counterbalancing the overwhelming numbers of female role models in school and at home for children.

Resources for the  paper

Ashcraft, C., & Sevier, B. (2006). Gender will find a way: Exploring how male elementary
teachers make sense of their experiences and responsibilities. Contemporary Issues in
Early Childhood, 7(2), 130-145.
Atkinson, P., Coffey, A., & Delamont, S. (2003). Key themes in qualitative research: continuities
and changes. Walnut Creek, Calif.: AltaMira Press.
Bernard, J.-L., Hill, D., Falter, P., & Wilson, W. D. (2004). Narrowing the gender gap: Attracting
men to teaching. Toronto: Ontario College of Teachers.
Blom, M. (2007, July 14). Strategies for success: A toolbox for helping boys in school. Paper
presented at the Boys & the Boy Crisis Conference, Washington, D.C.
Bouchard, P., St-Amant, J.-C., & Gagnon, C. (2000). Pratiques de masculinité à l’école
québécoise/Masculinity practices among boys in Quebec schools. Revue canadienne de
l’éducation/Canadian Journal of Education, 25(2), 73-87.
Brown, L. (2003, Wednesday, May 28). Ontario 13-year-old tops in reading test, but 16-year-olds
in the middle of Canadian pack. New Curriculum given credit for the difference. Toronto
Star, p. A19.
Brown, L., Popplewell, B., & Staff. (2008, January 30). Board okays black-focussed schools.
Retrieved Sept. 9, 2009, from http://www.thestar.com/News/article/298714
Callaghan, T. (2009, Sunday,May 24). Holy homophobia: Doctrinal disciplining of nonheterosexuals
in Canadian Catholic Schools. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for
Studies in Education (CSSE), Ottawa, Ontario.
Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded theory: Objectivist and constructivist methods. In N. K. Denzin &
Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 509-534). Thousand
Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
Clark, L. (July 13, 2009). Primary schools launch drive to recruit more male staff as only one in
eight teachers

References

Ashcraft, C., & Sevier, B. (2006). Gender will find a way:Exploring how male elementary

teachers make sense of their experiences and responsibilities. Contemporary Issues in
Early Childhood, 7(2), 130-145.
Atkinson, P., Coffey, A., & Delamont, S. (2003). Key themes in qualitative research: continuities
and changes. Walnut Creek, Calif.: AltaMira Press.
Bernard, J.-L., Hill, D., Falter, P., & Wilson, W. D. (2004). Narrowing the gender gap: Attracting
men to teaching. Toronto: Ontario College of Teachers.
Blom, M. (2007, July 14). Strategies for success: A toolbox for helping boys in school. Paper
presented at the Boys & the Boy Crisis Conference, Washington, D.C.
Bouchard, P., St-Amant, J.-C., & Gagnon, C. (2000). Pratiques de masculinité à l’école
québécoise/Masculinity practices among boys in Quebec schools. Revue canadienne de
l’éducation/Canadian Journal of Education, 25(2), 73-87.
Brown, L. (2003, Wednesday, May 28). Ontario 13-year-old tops in reading test, but 16-year-olds
in the middle of Canadian pack. New Curriculum given credit for the difference. Toronto
Star, p. A19.
Brown, L., Popplewell, B., & Staff. (2008, January 30). Board okays black-focussed schools.
Retrieved Sept. 9, 2009, from http://www.thestar.com/News/article/298714
Callaghan, T. (2009, Sunday,May 24). Holy homophobia: Doctrinal disciplining of nonheterosexuals
in Canadian Catholic Schools. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for
Studies in Education (CSSE), Ottawa, Ontario.
Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded theory: Objectivist and constructivist methods. In N. K. Denzin &
Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 509-534). Thousand
Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
Clark, L. (July 13, 2009). Primary schools launch drive to recruit more male staff as only one in
eight teachers is a man. Retrieved Sept. 8, 2009, from
Conference proceedings at EDGE Conference, St. John’s, NL, Oct. 16, 2009
11
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199372/Primary-schools-launch-drive-recruitmale-
staff-teachers-man.html#
Coulter, R. P., & Greig, C. J. (2008). The Man question in teaching: An historical over-view.
Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 54(4), 420-431.
Coulter, R. P., & McNay, M. (1995). Are more men in elementary schools necessary? The
Canadian School Executive, April 1995, 13-17.
Cummins, J., & Sayers, D. (1995). Brave new schools, challenging cultural literacy through
global learning networks. TO: OISE University, Inc.
Dei, G. (1993). Narrative Discourses of Black/African Canadian Parents & the Canadian Public
School System. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 25(3), 45-65.
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). Finding Themes In Handbook of qualitative research
(2nd ed., pp. 780-785). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
Eaton, P. (2009). Male teachers study: Executive summary. In D. Gosse (Ed.) (email ed.).
London, England: Training and Development Agency for School (TDA).
Finlay, J., & Keewatin, A. (2002, March 4). Male Youth in the Criminal Justice System. Paper
presented at the Canadian Boys, Untold Stories, The Colony Hotel, Toronto, Ontario.
Finley, G. (2007, July 14). The new gender divide in higher education: Long-term social and
occupational implications. Paper presented at the Boys & the Boy Crisis Conference,
Washington, D.C.
Gosse, D. (2004). Foundational tenets and challenges in conceptualizing a queer curriculum
model. Intercultural Studies, 4(1), 32-41.
Gosse, D. (2005). Jackytar, a novel. St. John's, Newfoundland: Jesperson Publishing.
Gosse, D. (2006). Arts-based educational research and Jackytar, the Canadian queer
Bildungsroman. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 3(1), 9-14.
Gosse, D. (2009, Saturday, April 4). ‘Erastephobia’ and ‘Androgenophobia’: Sexuality and fear
in the lives of male primary school teachers. Paper presented at the American Men's
Studies Association, Beyond Borders: Masculinities and Margins, Montreal, PQ.
Gosse, D. (under review). Androgenophobia and erastephobia: Fear of male sexualities in the
workplace of primary/junior teachers in Ontario, Proceedings of the 2009 American
Men's Studies Association, Beyond Borders: Masculinities and Margins. Montreal, PQ.
Gosse, D. (Ed.). (2008). Breaking silences & exploring masculinities, A critical supplement to the
novel Jackytar. St. John's, Newfoundland: Breakwater Books Ltd.
Gosse, D., & Parr, M. (2009, May 23, 2009). Prejudice in the Professional Journeys of Male
Primary Teachers in Ontario. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of
Education, Ottawa, Ontario.
Gosse, D., Parr, M., & Allison, J. (2007). You’re Out! Calling for debate on male primary school
teacher candidates. Canadian Online Journal of Queer Studies in Education, 3(1), 1-22.
Gosse, D., Parr, M., & Allison, J. (2008). Researching the halted paths of male primary school
teacher candidates. Journal of Men's Studies, 16(1), 57-68.
Hirschman, C., Pharris-Ciurej, N., & Willhoft, J. (2006, June 19). How Many Students Really
Graduate from High School? The Process of High School Attrition. Retrieved August 11,
2009, from http://faculty.washington.edu/charles/pubs/How_Many_Students.pdf
Hoff Summers, C. (2000). The War Against Boys, How Misguided Feminism is Harming Young
Men. New York: Touchstone.
Hoff Summers, C. (2007, July 14). The war against boys: Has it ended? Paper presented at the
Boys & the Boy Crisis Conference, Washington, D.C.
Honey, K. (2001, December 5). Alberta teens top worldwide literacy test, Excellent reading skills
of Canadian students should give them an edge in global community. The Globe and
Mail, p. A5.
Jennings, K. (Ed.). (2005). One teacher in ten, gay and lesbian educators and their stories (2nd
ed.). New York: Alyson Books.
Conference proceedings at EDGE Conference, St. John’s, NL, Oct. 16, 2009
12
King, J. R. (2004). The (Im)possibility of gay teachers for young children. Theory Into Practice,
43(2), 122-127.
Lawn, M., & Grace, G. (1987). Teachers: The culture and politics of work. In M. Lawn & G.
Grace (Eds.). London: Falmer Press.
Leverett, S. (2007). Raising our children. Retrieved Sept. 9, 2009, from
http://www.singleblackparents.com/
Lipman, E., Offord, D., & Boyle, M. (1997). Single mothers in Ontario: Sociodemographic,
physical and mental health characteristics. Canadian Medical Association, 156(5), 638-
645.
MacRae, R. (2008). Gender breakdown of principals and vice-principals in PEI schools
2008/2009. In D. Gosse (Ed.) (email ed.). Charlottetown: Prince Edward Island Teachers'
Federation.
Marshall, D. B., English, D. J., & Stewart, A. J. (2001). The Effect of Fathers or Father Figures
on Child Behavioral Problems in Families Referred to Child Protective Services. Child
Maltreatment, 6(4), 290-299.
Martino, W. (2008a). The lure of hegemonic masculinity: Investigating the dynamics of gender
relations in two male elementary school teachers' lives The International Journal of
Qualitative Studies in Education, 21(6), 575-603.
Martino, W. (2008b). Male teachers as role models: Addressing issues of masculinity, pedagogy
and the re-masculinization of schooling. Curriculum Inquiry, 38(2), 189-223.
McFalls, E. L., & Cobb-Roberts, D. (2001). Reducing resistance to diversity through cognitive
dissonance instruction Journal of Teacher Education, 52(2), 164-172.
Mitchell, A. (2004, January 17). Goodbye, Mr. Chips. The Globe and Mail, pp. F1, F6.
Nathanson, P., & Young, K. (2001). Spreading Misandry, The Teaching of Contempt for Men in
Popular Culture. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press.
Parsons, C., & Brown, P. (2001). Educating for diversity: An invitation to empathy and action.
Action in Teacher Education, 23(3), 1-4.
Rees, R. (1990). Women and men in education: A national survey of gender distribution in school
systems: Canadian Education Association
Robichaud, B. (2008). New Brunswick Teacher Demographics. In D. Gosse (Ed.) (email ed.).
Fredericton: New Brunswick Teachers' Association.
Ruffolo, D. (2008). Queer theory: A novel approach In D. Gosse (Ed.), Breaking silences &
exploring masculinities, A critical supplement to the novel Jackytar (pp. 61-72). St.John's, Newfoundland: Breakwater Books Ltd.
Segal, L. (1990). Slow Motion, changing masculinities, changing men. London, England: Virago
Press Ltd.
Simpson, T. (2002, Monday November 19). Save Jamaica's Sons. The Globe and Mail, p. A19.
Sondergaard, D. M. (2002). Poststructuralist approaches to empirical analysis. Qualitative Studies
in Education, 15(2), 187-204.
Staff. (2007/08). Summary of Key Information: British Columbia Ministry of Education.Staff. (2008a). Elementary-Secondary Education Project (ESESP), based on data released
September 29, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2008, from www.statcan.gc.ca
Staff. (2008b). Male teachers crucial as role models. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from
http://www.tda.gov.uk/about/mediarelations/2008/300908.aspx
Tyre, P. (January 30, 2006). The Trouble with Boys. Retrieved March 25, 2007, from
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10965522/site/newsweek/
Valverde, M. (1992). When the Mother of the Race is Free: Race, Reproduction, and Sexuality in
First-Wave Feminism. In F. Iacovetta & M. Valverde (Eds.), Gender Conflicts: New
Essays in Women's History (pp. 3-26). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
von Drehle, D. (July 26, 2007). The Myth about Boys. Retrieved August 10, 2009, from
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1647452,00.html
Conference proceedings at EDGE Conference, St. John’s, NL, Oct. 16, 2009
13
Wells, J. E. (1891). Sex in teaching. Educational Journal, 5(509).
Wente, M. (2003a, May 31). Girls rule. The Globe and Mail, p. A19.
Wente, M. (2003b, February 27). How the schools wage war on boys. The Globe and Mail, p.
A19.
Willoughby-Herb, S. J., & Herb, S. L. (1993). The Importance of Men as Role Models in
Literacy. Catholic Library World, 64(2-3), 46-50.