Guest Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hi all [size="2"]over the next few weeks i have to decide on my reserach proposal for my dissertation Being a male practitioner in the early years i'm really interested in finding out why there are so few men in the early years. I have chosen a few potential research propsals but i'm finding it hard to decide on which one would be more analytical...right the first one is 'how to encourage men into the early years?' or 'why are there so few male role models in the early years?' Any advice will be much appreciated If anyone knows of any good books,websites or other median that explores the concept of 'men in the early years' i will be really greatful. Thank you Happydays [/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hi there happydays and welcome here. I presume you have looked at the CWDC research re parents wishes for male childcarers, and its also worth looking at the daycare trust. I think Heather Rolfe has written about this too, a search may be revealing. How you define your research really depends on what you want to find out. For example: Norway has more than 4 times as many male chilcarers than the UK.. why is that? What has the men into childcare project achieved... (find out if your local cc is part of this project) How do providers of training try to recruit male students? Is this process flawed? How much does earnng capacity affect numbers? etc etc.. interesting stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 (edited) How you define your research really depends on what you want to find out. And also how long you have to complete your research project which will dictate whether you'll be able to prove anything conclusively in that time. Could you look at the perception of why men don't engage with childcare as a career and then talk to male child carers to see how the reality relates to that perception? Or survey employers about their attitudes towards employing male childcarers? And what do parents feel about the issue? Its such a wide field of research - the trick is narrowing it down to something that interests you and that you can provide meaningful data about so that you can analyse it successfully. Good luck! Oh and welcome to the Forum! Maz Edited July 12, 2009 by HappyMaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Thank-you so much!! It's initially difficult narrowing the hypothesis down, but i do like the concept of identifying the implications of why men don't choose to work in the early years sector. I think the Norway stats will form the foundations and i can build on from there!! Thanks a million Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Perhaps you could ask Steve for your own 'men only' forum on here so you can swap tales of derring do in the world of early years? Might generate a few vignettes to give your research project some colour! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Mundai "presume you have looked at the CWDC research re parents wishes for male childcarers, and its also worth looking at the daycare trust" How do i access this? I've had a look online but the only related topic i can find relates to foster carers. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Did you see the bbc news this morning? This week there is a drive to get more male teachers into primary teaching. Interveiwing a head teacher she said there are men mostly in key stage 2 but not many in early years. It'll be on again later this morning, or you miss it you can always watch it later on the internet. Jackie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Mundai "presume you have looked at the CWDC research re parents wishes for male childcarers, and its also worth looking at the daycare trust" How do i access this? I've had a look online but the only related topic i can find relates to foster carers. Thanks this is it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Hi happydays. I am a man in early years. I have a BA (QTS) in the Advanced Study of Early Years and it's the only sector i have ever wanted to teach in. I have been a reception teacher for 4 years now and i love it. Where i teach, some children are from broken homes and do not have a positive male role in their lives. i like to think i make a difference just by being caring and having fun. i find that girls as well as boys respond so positively to having me as their teacher. I suppose there is the whole issue of our role being more of a 'caring' role than a 'teaching' role and a lot of men don't like to see them selves as being associated with that role. (can't understand why?). Other's will claim that some parent's will have issues with sending their young child to a school where there is a man working with such young children..POPPYCOCK! I develop really good relationships with all my parents and they often tell me how their children are very happy in my care. If i can be of any help to your research please PM. me. I am the only male early years practitioner in the borough where i work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Hi Happydays Can't really answer your questions but wondered if the following links might help, you are probably familiar with most of them but just in case here goes; The Fatherhood Institute has lots of research stuff The Dad Man - much is (quite rightly) made of the importance of men as role models for boys but equally important is the example being offered to girls too Men in childcare has experience and practical information around these issues www.dad.info has loads of information and articles for dads and people who work with them. Hope some of this helps. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I am fully in favour of men in early years and feel we dont have enough. A couple of years ago we advertised for a new deputy head and had 2 male applicants. When they realised they would have to teach reception for 8 months before they could change key stages, they withdrew their application so it would be interesting to try to find out what it is about early years that men shy away from. Is it not stimulating/ challenging enough for them? could it be child protection fears? I love early years and think some men are really meant to teach early years so why dont they want to ? killowengirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) wow sounds a great subject to get you teeth into look for the issue with the most research already available your dissertation is demonstrating your research skills rather than actually discovering somthing amazing about that issue. keep an open mind to start with you might find after getting stuck into the reading that a hypothesis becomes more apparent i was half way through before I finally clarified what my Hypothesis was, I had a vague idea what I was looking for/doing but I had read lots on the issue before pinpointing exactly what I was going to write about even at the early stage keep a list of what your reading and make some notes so youll remember what each article was, I made the mistake of just reading and reading then realised later on that I had read some great quotes and couldnt remember where or what article it was in. Edited July 13, 2009 by Alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) get loads of those tiny post its and use them as flags on your pages! Whenever he can, my son now aged 22 has come to help in Preschool and the children absolutely love it when he comes. He does things with them that we don't do, or never think of doing - he has no preconceptions about EYFS principles or, because he's the youngest child, expected abilities of a 2 - 4 year old, so assumes that they can do things - and they do! He gets them measuring and sawing and building and designing and doing really 'blokey' things. Last summer they built a funicular railway in the garden with brio! they designed it and looked at resources and what they would need and then off they went - it was brilliant! He's really tall and I thought they might be a bit worried, with the beard and all - but no, they adore him! We had a little autistic girl who I was a bit worried might 'freak' when he came in, she didn't, she called him 'Daddy' sometimes and when he walked in would shout 'IT'S ALAN!!!' and dive on him! Local newspaper ran a feature about him - men in childcare article. He's not doing childcare, he's studying Robotic Engineering. Edited July 13, 2009 by Cait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 what a shame Cait can you not persuade him, children need experiences like that and from what you say he has a real rapport with the children. I have worked with a couple over the years and all have been fab and the children have always responded positively as have the parents. more men in childcare would be great sure he wont change his mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Sadly there's money and kudos to be had working in the field of robotic and cybertonic engineering! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Cait even on a part time occassional visit thats such a valuable time for the children to have, its important to get the men into early years not just as workers but as role models. we have our vicar come in as regular as possible just to sit and chat with the children read stories and basicly chill he loves coming and the children love to see him at the moment we have so many dads who have been made redundant or put on short time and stuff we thought about asking them to join the parent rotas maybe we could introduce one or two to a career change?? its a great subject and I wish there where more men in the work place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 It's a really good idea! sorry, we've hijacked the thread a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Hi, just stumbled across this by accident, I did my dissertation (BA Hons Early Childhood Studies) 2 years ago on this exact subject. I find it fascinating! Its something that i am still very interested in now and I am thinking of extending it for my dissertation for my Masters later this year. I'll be only too pleased to offer any advice whatsover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Thank-you to everyone that has replied - this information is invaluable!! I've decided to read around the concept of male pedagogy and to see if it will enable me with finding the 'right' hypothesis Definately agree on the subject of more males in the early years and primary. A s a male practitioner my self i have experienced discrimnation because of my gender, which i have always challened in a sensitive approach.Some people cannot comprehend why men want to work with children, whuich is absolutely narrow minded!! I love my job and wouldn't change it for the world, i currently work in a reception class and for around 50% of the children don't have male role models at home.Parents' have reiterated how instrumental they think it is to have a positive male role model and especially with the boys...I just love the natural inquisitiveness,eagerness and caring attitudes children of this age have... Philk - that's great,i'm sure your advice and suggestions will be really useful...once i've got my hypothesis ready, i will produce a questionnaire-i'd be really greatful if you could find the time to fill it in. Thanks again everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Other's will claim that some parent's will have issues with sending their young child to a school where there is a man working with such young children..POPPYCOCK! I develop really good relationships with all my parents and they often tell me how their children are very happy in my care. I wonder if your experiences are those of men working in pre-school or nursery settings? I wonder if it makes any difference, that distinction of your role in reception being more about 'teaching' than 'caring'? I noticed that there are a few chaps on here who haven't been on the Forum since the other 'men in childcare' thread was started. Hopefully when you next log in you'll go onto that thread and have your say, too! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 this is great stuff! i too have started my dissertation and am focussing on why so few men work in early years. I am currently in my final year of BA QTS Early Years education. Your ideas and suggestions have really helped me and i will be willing to help anyone else with questionnaires etc. by the way if you didnt guess i am male! lol! any further help would be muchly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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