Exploring the Perceptions of Male Teachers About the Shortage of Male Elementary School Teachers: A Q Methodology

Abstract

There is a shortage of male elementary school teachers in the United States. Men who choose careers as elementary school teachers must be confident and ignore social barriers that keep other men from considering the profession. The current investigation seeks to understand the viewpoints of men who teach elementary school, a career predominated by women. This was the first known investigation on the topic using Q methodology. Data analysis extracted three distinct viewpoints: the Fixers, the Mentees, and the Aspirants. This study provides the results of data analysis, responds to research questions, and makes recommendations for policy. The findings of this study indicated that men who teach are proud to be role models and make a difference for students, and they believe that they are equally suitable to teach as women. Many participants seemed to be unaware of recruitment efforts in their field. The information gleaned from this study may help universities and school districts to seek new ways to attract quality male teachers.