Be Careful What You Ask For

Abstract

Current educational reform efforts have called attention to the need for more male teachers, primarily in elementary education. Recent scholarship, however, has highlighted significant problems with some of the assumptions underlying these calls, arguing that if we are to incorporate male teachers in ways that truly challenge dominant discourses of masculinity, we must address questions such as why we need more male teachers and what masculinities these teachers will model. Importantly, research has shown that men do not question what it means to be a male teacher or a male role model. The authors seek to extend this research by inquiring into the confusion surrounding the concept and consequences of this confusion. The authors contend that the idea of a male role model needs questioning, the illusion of clarity it offers is potentially dangerous, and disrupting this idea could potentially rearticulate male participation in elementary teaching in more liberating ways.