Women Teaching Boys: Caring and Working in the Primary School

Ever since the achievement of boys became an issue, the media have made much of the "shortage" of male teachers. This book is essential reading for all primary teaching professionals, including trainees, classroom teachers, principals, trainers and school boards. It will provide them with an authoritative reference source on the "problem with boys" and the "feminization of primary schooling".

Because it seen as caring rather than academic, primary teaching has been disparaged as low status women's work. Male teachers are encouraged at first but are then regarded as suspect because of the caring role. This book challenges much of the accepted wisdom about boys and men. Drawing on the authority of the boys’ own voices, it redefines the profile of a good primary teacher as one which men and women, it seems, are equally capable of matching. The refreshing conclusion is that feminization is not to blame for the "problem" with boys.

The authors are both experienced teacher trainers at the University of the West of England. With contributions to this book by their female colleagues, they bring an insightful new vision to an area of research that has until now been dominated by women. This is a book for primary school teachers, parents, teacher educators and education policy makers.