Jordanian Mothers’ and Female Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions of Men Working in Preschools

Abstract

In Jordan less than 1% of preschool teachers are male. This study investigated a sample of mothers and female preschool teachers about their perceptions of male preschool teachers. A survey was developed to collect data from the participants. Results showed that participants perceive the work of men in preschools as being acceptable, yet they were of the opinion that preschool teaching is the work of females. Mothers agreed that children gain diverse experiences when taught by males or females. Female schoolteachers disagreed that male teachers have more control over their student during field trips. Most notably, female schoolteachers ages 19 to 29 were more accepting of the idea of male preschool teachers than other age groups.