The perceptions and pressures experienced by male primary elementary teachers and how these affect their behaviors and career choices

Abstract

This dissertation was a qualitative study of the perceptions and pressure of male primary elementary teachers and how these may affect their behavior and career choices. The researcher sought, through interviews of all stakeholders, to better understand the world of a male primary elementary teacher and how they are impacted by the thoughts and attitudes of those around them. Demographically, male primary elementary teachers are rare. The literature provides a variety of reasons why this is true, but many stemmed from the perceptions, both negative and positive, people had of them and the resulting pressures from these perceptions. It was found, from the interviews, that male primary elementary teachers experience a great deal of pressure to be role-models to fatherless students and to avoid positive physical contact with students, It was also found male teachers change their behavior in order to fit in the elementary culture and to avoid accusations of impropriety. It is recommended that leaders make an effort to hire quality male teachers, defend their reputations, avoid placing difficult students in their classes, and to check their own perceptions of male teachers.