The Unicorn Teacher: Males in Early Elementary and Middle Level Education

This paper examines how male preservice teachers pursuing an elementary or middle level education certification perceive barriers and supports in their chosen major and future profession. To answer this question, the authors used a convenience sample of male undergraduate students at a mid-sized, private, liberal arts college. Sixteen male students completed an online 24-question Likert scale survey and nine of these students participated in a semi-structured focus group. Our results support current literature findings showing male preservice teachers experience barriers to the field related to gender identity. Additionally, findings highlight the significant role teacher preparation programs, cooperating teachers, and peer support systems play in the resiliency and success of male preservice teachers. Implications from this research include the need for teacher preparation programs to address these barriers and provide systems of support of this underserved population.