Across the globe the prevalence of men who work in the early education and care field is scant. This phenomenon is evidenced in the Canadian childcare milieu where male early childhood professionals constitute a modest fraction of the sector. At the nucleus of this are gender-situated scrutinization, role model binaries, and adverse occupational…

The academic achievement of Black boys in the U.S. has been declining, and Black male mentorship can positively change these outcomes. Schools have tried many interventions to help Black boys receive the academic, social, and emotional support they need to close the performance gap. Some case studies have proven that Black male mentorship works.…

This paper explores the move towards an all-female teaching force, particularly in the developed world, where men are turning their backs on the profession. It attempts to gather the evidence as to what is affecting men's choice to reject teaching as a career. It explores the possible causes of this change, which has been increasing over the last…

Comic book characters (CBCs) provide an escapism from reality while still confronting real issues. However, for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) there is a lack of characters that look, talk, and think like them. Black Panther is an example of a character more inclusive of BIPOC populations, especially Black males. What…

The focus of the study was to understand how African American men who achieved leadership positions in Power 5 NCAA Division I schools constructed their stories about the influence and benefits of role models in their career pursuits. Semistructured interviews were used to gather in-depth information from five to 15 African Americans in athletic…

Despite existing recruitment and retention efforts, there has been a persistent underrepresentation of Black men teachers in the U.S. educator workforce. The present study employed a phenomenological approach to examine what motivated Black men (n = 27) to enter the teaching profession. We drew on the social-cognitive career theory (SCCT)…

Black males continue to be underrepresented in post-secondary education and also routinely identify as first-generation college students (FGCS) once they arrive on campus (Camardelle et al., 2022; RIT International, 2019). Historically, research surrounding FGCS has utilized a deficit-based framework which presents FGCS, in comparison to their…

Research has shown that male teachers in early childhood settings play a crucial role in providing male role models, offering diverse perspectives, and helping children develop positive gender-role stereotypes. Therefore, it is crucial for Early Head Start programs to increase the representation of male teachers to ensure that all children can…

Previous studies examining male elementary general music teachers have treated this population as a homogeneous group, ignoring or downplaying the social differences that exist among male teachers. This study considered how gender intersects with other identities, such as age, race, and sexuality, to impact the experiences and self-perceptions of…

African American male educators are becoming extinct in our current United States School system. Representing less than 2% of the teaching force, our recruitment efforts will need adjustments to increase this population of educators in schools (Bristol & Mentor, 2018; Goings & Bianco, 2016; Wallace & Gagen, 2019). To address this…

We assert the concepts of "role model" and "mentor" continue to permeate educational and public discourse as viable means of behavioral modification among young Black males facing multiple inequities. Though these terms it seems, have obtained significant currency, they also carry a degree of ubiquity--obscuring proper…

This article reports on research with two Latino male youth workers who express strong criticism of their positioning as "positive" role models for struggling Latino boys in a Latino male mentorship program. Drawing from analytic frameworks attune to the intersectional politics of race and neoliberalism, this article centers the voices…

The call for more males to work with children in their formative years remains prevalent in education discourse across the globe. Assertions that these men will positively address boys' poor behaviour and underachievement, as well as serving as father figures and role models for boys, continue to fuel international policy making and shape media…

A growing number of school district and community organizations are seeking to address a 'crisis' of Latino male education through the creation of Latino male mentorship programs. Indicative of neoliberal shifts in urban education, these programs often involve public-private partnerships and bring problem-solving, deficit-approaches to youth work.…

This phenomenological research study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of African-American male in roles of educational leadership. The study was guided by four research questions. The data was collected from 10 African-American males in roles of educational leadership. Data collection occurred through participants' interviews, which…