Why more men?

The aim of increasing the percentage of male educators in ECEC centres is usually based on the following arguments:

• Gender balance in all areas of society is a crucial prerequisite for achieving equal rights for all.

• The diversity of the children in ECEC centres should be reflected in the diversity of the teaching staff. Here, gender is just one of many aspects.

• ECEC centres are seeking to hire more male educators, who they expect will expand the scope of educational activities provided to children.

• Male ECEC educators can have a positive influence on the team culture in ECEC centres.

• Male ECEC educators can help to compensate for the lack of male role models in homes.

• A lack of male role models can have a detrimental effect on the social behaviour and educational achievement of young boys.

• An increase in the percentage of men working in ECEC can help to expand the range of career options available to men.

There has been a longstanding debate in Germany and internationally on the extent to which behavioural problems and poor achievement among boys are related to the lack of male educators in ECEC centres and primary schools. However, the arguments and explanations put forward by experts to explain these phenomena are disparate and divided.

Recent findings from attachment theory suggest that the gender of caregivers in educational facilities has a significant impact on the quality of child-adult-relationships. Yet there are still no empirical research findings to prove the positive impact of male educators in ECEC centres, as the research on attachment in ECEC to date has focused solely on female professionals in this field.

An important future project is therefore to extend our current knowledge on the topic of men in ECEC. New research findings could help to further develop projects and materials aimed at increasing the percentage of men working in this field.