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elementar
Men‘s voices in ECE in Austria
Results of a nationwideresearch project
Bernhard Koch,University of Innsbruckcontact: [email protected]
EECERA Conference 2010, Birmingham
men in early childhood education and care
2
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
ECEC in Austria: Tradition
The profession is seen as substitutingmotherhood and the workplace is seenas a substitute „home“
3
ECEC in Austria: Background (1)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Early childhood centres: a traditional female field• the public image of the profession is associated
to care & play, not to education• low salaries and poor working conditions• vocational training: secondary school level• male students permitted only since 1980• only 1 % male workers, 3 % male students
4
ECEC in Austria: Background (2)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Educational work in the early years is not seenas important and challenging by society in general.
• Institutions and workers make too few effortsto inform about the character of their work.
• Part time work is common, the labour union isweak. This is not uncommon for occupations in which almost all co-workers are female.
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ECEC in Austria: recentdevelopments
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
New understanding of elementary education:• Debates on raising the level of vocational
training on third level• „Education“ in ECEC gets more important• ECEC institutions should be open full-time,
all the year, for children 0-5 years
Increase of workforce (6000 in the last 2 years)
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Research project „public fathers“ –Men in Early childhood education and Care(director: Prof. J.C. Aigner)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• What makes men become ECE workers?• What do men experience
in vocational training and when working in kindergarten?
• Is there a specific ‚male‘ way of working with children?
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The research project: target groups
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
1. Pupils prior to career decisions2. Students (adolescents and adults)
in vocational training3. Men and women working in
ECEC institutions4. Parents
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The research project: methods
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Analysis of statistical data• Group discussions (9)• Paper & pencil surveys (1209)
„full survey“ of men in ECEC• In-depth interviews (79)
content analysispsychoanalytic approach
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elementarmen in early childood education and care
Results 1: Male pupils prior to career decision:Attitudes towards „men in kindergarten“ (n=234)
„These men do not fit to my image of a „man“(male adolescent, 15 years)
„…I could imagine this job for myself …….“(male adolescent, 15 years)
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elementarmen in early childood education and care
Results 1: Male pupils prior to career decision:Attitudes towards „men in kindergarten“ (n=234)
One out of four male adolescents states thatmale kindergarten workers are no „real men“!
One out of four male adolescents statesto be interested in work with children!
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elementarmen in early childood education and care
Why do male and female adolescentsinterested in work with childrendo not aim for a career in ECEC?
85
73
66
49
40
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
these men are nottaken as serious
no career options
low salary
malefemale
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elementarmen in early childood education and care
What would attract youth interested in workwith children to train / work in ECEC?
90,7
85,5
83,6
82,1
91,5
83
0 20 40 60 80 100
salary equal to a teacher
high amount of timespent outdoors
more physical activities
malefemale
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Results 2: Male adolescents (age 15-19 years)in vocational training (school) for ECEC
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Many men/boys report negative reactions of peers (boys) on their vocational decision
• 45% of the male students state that the regularvocational training is more designed for women
• „Masculine“ themes and interests of boys/menfall short at school
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Results 2: Male adolescents (age 15-19 years)in vocational training (school) for ECEC
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Male students report subtle discrimination(35 %) and accusations as „abusers“ (12 %) in kindergarten practice
• Boys/men interests include: more nature & outdoor experience, sports & physical activities
„Children would never ask a female pedagoguefor permission to sitting on her shoulders…“(male student)
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elementarmen in early childood education and care
Results 2: Male adolescents (age 15-19 years)
in vocational training (school) for ECEC“I think women are more likely to adopt the kind of caring like it is, and men are more innovative and find
their own methods.” (male student)
Female students like to work with children while sitting around a table; I prefer playing in the garden.
(male student)
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Results 3: Men at work (age 20-50 years)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Men prefer working in private institutions(certification is not always necessary, low hierarchies, more freedom „to work in my own way“.
• Female co-workes, children and parentsappreciate the presence of men in ECEC – men are welcome.
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Similarities and differences in activities/attitudesbetween male and female coworkers in the view of men
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
39,1
34,5
5,5
5,5
33,3
39,8
56,4
63,6
78,2
40,9
64,7
57,4
4,5
1,8
16,4
53,6
2
2,8
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
physical games
playing rough and fighting games
doing handicrafts
console children
spend more time outdoors
more confidencein abilities of children
■ rather myself
■ rather no difference
■ rather my femalecolleague
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Similarities and differences in the view of men and women
39,1
34,5
5,5
5,5
33,3
39,8
56,4
63,6
78,2
40,9
64,7
57,4
4,5
1,8
16,4
53,6
2
2,8
0% 50% 100%
rather bymyself
rather nodifference
rather myfemalecolleguage
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
6,4
2,8
37,6
48,1
0,9
6,5
76,1
76,1
61,5
49,1
55,6
65,4
17,4
21,1
0,9
2,8
43,5
28
0% 50% 100%
Same
tendencies
in attitudes
of men and
women, but...
physical games
playing rough and fighting games
doing handicrafts
console children
spend more time outdoors
more confidencein abilities of children
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Male and female ECEC workers (1)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• About 80% of males and females state that menhave a different access to children.
• Men bring in more diversity and interests and activities stereotyped as „masculine“ likebeing outdoors, carving, playing rough games.
• It seems, some women do this too, but eventuallywith less emotional involvement.
• Women can get new ideas for their work withchildren through the presence of male coworkers.
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Male and female ECEC workers (2)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
“Let them jump! When I was young, we jumped from trees which were higher!”
A male co-worker tells about the different assessment regarding children’s outdoors risky play, he referred speaking to his female colleague while a child is climbing on a tree
A voice of a male Co-worker:
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Male and female ECE workers (3)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Communication in teams changes: Communication style of male colleaguesis seen as more „straight forward“
• 90 % of males and females state that boysand girls need male role models / male adults to relate to.
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Male and female ECE workers: (4)
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Most men like their job and are satisfied withtheir work.
• Men need possibilities to work „in their own way“– women too, but for them it is easier as theywork in a traditional female field.
• In contrast to many female coworkers many menhave no wife/partner with high salary – and therefore depend more on adequate salary.
• Better general conditions are basic formotivating men – and women!
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…….in five years?
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
52,7
18,2
19,1
10,9
8,2
57,8
12,3
11
20,8
8,4
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
sameposition
manager
"alternative"child care
center
othereducational
field
completechange
menwomen
Men are more likelyto stay in the childcare field as manager and in a „alternative“childcare center
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Conclusions
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• Better working conditions in general• More male colleagues• Better career options• Enrichment of concepts and practice (including
sports, outdoor, more physical activities…)• More appreciation of ECEC work
from parents, politicians and society
„Yes, more moneywould be good, but...
... it‘s not the only problem.“
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Conclusion
elementarmen in early childhood education and care
• More men in the field would lead to a change of concepts and practice of ECEC and
• ECEC-institutions have to changeconcepts and practice to be an attractiveworkplace for women and for men.
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elementarmen in early childhood education and care
elementar research projectInnsbruck University, Faculty of Education, Austriaemail: [email protected]: http://www.uibk.ac.at/ezwi/elementar
director Prof. J.C. Aignerteam Dr. Tim Rohrmann, Bernhard Koch M.A.,
Gabriele Schauer M.A., Barbara Strubreither M.A. Tessa Zeis M.A.
expertadvice
Dr. Anton Percy, Dr. Gerald Poscheschnik
term 2008 – 2010funding Austrian Science Research Fund (FWF)