Critical reflections on the experiences of male in early childhood education in Malaysia

Abstract

The percentage of male in field like Early Childhood Education (ECE) is low compared to other manly job. But, recently, the position of male in preschool education has been a trending topic of research among academic societies. The ways through which government attempt to encourage or maximized the incidence of male students taking Early Childhood Education course are founded on a thorough understanding of the reasons why they choose the course and the challenges. Employing a number of semi-structured interviews, the present qualitative study endeavours to seek Early Childhood Education students’ viewpoints on the reasons, challenges, and views of taking this course. Researchers used two male students, who fit the criteria chosen through purposive sampling. Based on the findings of the study, themes found for the reasons: interest, conditional support, demands, and basic knowledge; followed by themes for the challenges faced: normal, affect performance, family, and feedback differences in gender; and themes for their perception on Early Childhood Education course: business and attitude. The implications of these findings can be helpful for academic societies seeking to prioritize the role of male in Early Childhood Education setting in Malaysia.