Male kindergarten teachers in the perception of parents in the context of social trust

Abstract

People have a high degree of social confidence and trust in the profession of a teacher. From the social point of view, its representatives carry out special tasks concerning a high regard for the public interest — in this case, the education of the young generations. Therefore, the work of teachers, including preschool teachers, is almost always observed and socially evaluated. It is formally and substantively evaluated by supervision authorities and by society, including children’s parents. The article presents preliminary research on the parents’ perception of male teachers in kindergarten in the context of social trust. The results show that the respondents feel discomfort due to gender stereotypes about men working with children and about the profession of teaching. However, having contact with a male kindergarten teacher alleviates this discomfort, improves the teacher’s assessment of his profession, and increases parents’ confidence in his actions.