Exploring male practitioners’ perceptions, experiences and challenges in early childhood development

Abstract

Gender balance is a major area of interest within the field of social work studies. Many males who are interested in venturing into careers that are associated with early childhood development have been not offered enough support by society. This study aimed at exploring male practitioners’ perceptions, experiences and challenges in early childhood development (ECD). A qualitative approach with an exploratory – descriptive research design was utilised. Three themes were identified and the findings show that the male practitioners are self-motivated to take jobs in ECDs. It was also discovered that there is a perception about male practitioner’s roles and also debunked stereotypes.