Abstract
The early childhood education workforce is highly feminized, with women dominating the field. Around the world, calls have been made for increasing participation of men in the profession so that the gender gap could be reduced. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma associated with men teaching young children. In this study, we explored the perceptions about male teachers of early grades in Nigerian schools. The study used an interpretative qualitative research design with a total of 10 participants (5 parents and 5 teachers) in early grade schools to explore the perceptions of male teachers in early grade schools. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to guide the one-on-one interview and data analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that sociocultural misconceptions cause male teacher attrition in early grade schools. General suspicion, stigmatization, and prejudice are contributing factors that promote gender stereotypes against male teachers in early grades. Such misconceptions contributed to an overwhelming preference for female teachers in early grades. However, a small proportion of participants believe that male teachers are an essential component of early grade schools for gender balance and effective role modeling. The findings suggest an urgent need for greater awareness of the important role of male teachers in early grade schools in promoting both their academic and social development. More effort is also needed to increase the number of in-service male teachers in the early childhood workforce.