[5]Men in early childhood education offer distinct benefits that are either rare, difficult, or impossible to attain in an all-female teacher setting:[1] Gender based positive impact may stem from socially constructed ideas of gender, as sexist stereotypes of the traits of men and women are prevalent in society as a whole.
[8]"One highly influential homophobic myth that has been prevalent in early childhood educational settings (and within the broader society) is the perception of ‘homosexuals’ as paedophiles and sexual predators".
Societal expectations of masculinity and race perpetuate stereotypical views of identity that may prevent men from choosing to work with children in early learning environments.
[10] Some barriers to men of colour entering the field include:[10][11] Children benefit from having role models they can relate to as they are constructing and forming their identities.
[15] The World Forum Foundation runs a working group to advocate for the inclusion, recruitment and support of male early childhood educators.