The ‘brave’ man in the early years (0–8): defining the ‘role model’

© 2015 EECERA. The call for more ‘brave’ male early years practitioners and primary classroom teachers remains prevalent as boys’ underachievement continues to dominate education agendas. There is a recognised need, backed by government policy and public discourse in England, for more men to work in settings and schools (0–11) and act as ‘role models’. This article reports on the complexities of this as a term by presenting select findings from the author's doctoral research. Through an investigation into the thoughts and perceptions of men who actively work with children in the 0–8 sector, research findings suggest that there is a general lack of clarity with regard to how the ‘role model’ is actually defined. The significance of this will be considered.