elementar
men in early childhood education and care
News from the research project
Elementar – Men in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
Working with children is not „woman’s work“. More and more men take their part not only as fathers, but also as professionals in the field of child care and early childhood education.
Men in ECEC are
- popular with children
- welcomed by male as well as female collegues
- accepted by parents
- in demand of employers in the field of child care and education.
In Austria, the field of early childhood institutions and respective
vocational training is undergoing rapid change. The importance of early
childhood and care is increasing, and well trained professionals – men
as well as women – are very much in demand. Participation and
involvement of men is crucial for the further development and
professionalization of ECEC.
Unfortunately, the proportion of male
professionals is very small in the complete area of institutional child
care and education. With less than one percent male ECEC workers Austria
is well below the European average. Hardly any empirical research is
being conducted, and literature analyzing the situation is scarce.
A
research group at the University of Innsbruck has now taken on a
research project on men in ECEC in Austria. The objectives are to find
out more about what characterizes these men and what they experience
while working in kindergarten, as well as to look at what role gender
aspects play as they undergo vocational training.
The project is part of efforts to raise the quality of early childhood education and care in Austria. We also intend connecting professionals in research, vocational training and practice interested in increasing the proportion of men in the educational and social workforce.