Gender diversification of the early years education workforce: Recruiting, supporting and retaining male practitioners

Lead Research Organisation: Lancaster University
Department Name: Educational Research

Abstract

This research aims to improve our understanding of the obstacles that stand in the way of more men taking up employment in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce; to learn about possible solutions; and to harness this evidence-based knowledge in ways that can help the UK diversify the gender of its workforce in the most efficient and effective ways possible.

Currently only around 2% of the UK's ECE workforce are male; a figure that has remained stubbornly resistant to change for several decades. We will work with hubs of ECE professionals located in four English localities, who are interested and active in advocating for an increase of men in ECE and engaged in supportive MITEY (Men in the Early Years) regional networks and national conferences. We will work with a team of academics and practitioners from Norway who have been engaged, through Norway's gender equality action plan, in regional and national recruitment strategies to achieve a government target of 20% more men in kindergartens.
Four hub leaders will attend a knowledge exchange event in Norway and cascade their learning to ECE colleagues, engaging eight different settings (pre-schools and primary school Reception classes) who will then form a sample of case studies, two in each hub. The case study methodology will follow the model utilised by Warin in a pilot study, funded by Childbase Partnership, that explored impacts of a mixed-gender workforce in a nursery with five male practitioners. We will also administer a survey to the wider sector, seeking data on male recruitment and retention, and information about previous, ongoing and future approaches to increasing numbers. In addition we will conduct supporting interviews with key training providers, careers stakeholders and key ECE strategists. Findings will be translated into recommendations and training pathways for ECE providers and managers.

We will deliver a training event for a group of these stakeholders, who will then act as MITEY 'champions' and cascade their knowledge further to others in the ECE sector. We will also produce a training toolkit for free distribution to the sector, drawing on the best available evidence. We will hold a conference at the end of the project, to pull together and communicate all our learning.

A key aim is to harness our findings to develop a workable and explicit theory that rationalises the value of including men within the ECE workforce and can be taken up by ECE professionals and others to advocate for an increase in numbers of men. The study will apply an innovative theory drawn from Warin's longstanding research in gender and education which focuses on the concept of gender flexible pedagogy. The concept addresses possibilities and opportunities for the transformation of traditional gender norms and requires gender sensitive practitioners who are willing and able to traverse traditional gender boundaries, and encourage children to do the same. By enabling ECE providers to show young children (through actions rather than words) that caregiving is an activity for men as well as women, we will enhance efforts to help young children themselves to challenge gender stereotypes so that they may grow up to make less constrained choices about their own careers and gender roles within families.

This research is the first ever attempt in the UK to collate, collect and use research evidence in a systematic way, to support gender diversification of the ECE workforce. It will, for the first time, create a strong evidence base and substantial learning experiences to support ECE providers motivated to create a more gender-diverse workforce, along with resources to help them develop the most effective strategies and communicate key messages to potential recruits, ECE providers, parents, training providers, and careers services.

Planned Impact

Who will benefit?

Wider society. The project will create an evidence base and high quality resources to support ECE professionals, training bodies and careers advice services to plan, act and self-evaluate in ways that better support gender equality. By working towards a more gender-diverse, gender-sensitive ECE workforce, we will support greater gender awareness in children, contributing towards reduced gender discrimination in the future. Communication of findings could catalyze change in related caring professions, addressing current recruitment crises.

Children in ECE (including, but not limited to, those in case study settings). They will benefit from an increase in the pool of potential applicants to the ECE workforce; a more gender sensitive workforce, employing a gender-flexible approach, also has the potential to develop children's own gender awareness, enhancing their childhoods and leading to generational gender transformation and equality. Mothers and fathers may engage with the developing gender-sensitive practices of ECE staff, enhancing opportunities to challenge gender stereotypes and model caring masculinities.

ECE professionals. Managers will be enabled to engage with examples of replicable good practice in recruitment, support and retention of male staff; gain insight into recruitment barriers and drop-out of males; create support strategies; and engage with theory in a national discussion on the value of mixed gender workforces. Some will become MITEY Champions and cascade learning to others. Practitioners, including immediate participant beneficiaries in the four hubs and their wider networks, will benefit from collaboration with academic partners to establish a strong theoretical rationale for recruiting, retaining and supporting male colleagues.

ECE training providers. Programme directors of ITT and CPD in ECE, relevant degrees and CACHE level 3, will be enabled to adopt a theoretical framework and research evidence to support recruitment activities, and professional ECE training in gender sensitization. Students will be able to use findings to inform professional training, reflection and practice.

Providers of careers advice services. They will be able to: access recruitment opportunities and taster sessions for a range of job-seeking males; and acquire an evidence base with which to better inform jobseekers and dispel common myths.

Male recruits/potential recruits. They may discover aptitude and job satisfaction in a non-traditional career: young men (e.g. work experience students, school leavers and apprentices); older men and unemployed or career-change men.

How will they benefit?

A strategic communications plan has been built into the project, to maximise impact with relevant beneficiaries. An initial KE event in Norway pulls together the practitioner networks of Co-I Emilsen with pivotal UK MITEY advocates, and launches two parallel approaches for managing the project and creating impact pathways: a steering group and a project website. The former, comprising project leaders and strategically chosen advocates from national and international networks, will inform outputs and create a communication channel for rapid dissemination to wider audiences; the latter will host key project resources. The project will be promoted to the ECE sector and more widely via press coverage, blogs and social media. A closed Facebook group will support networking between hubs and other key participants. Warin and Marlow's drama expertise will transform selected findings into an engaging 'performed ethnography' play-script, following a model devised by Davies and Robinson (2016), to be performed at the EOP and MITEY 2020 conferences. We will also deliver two training resources, led by Co-I Davies: a session aimed at ECE providers who will become MITEY Champions, and a training toolkit incorporating a play-script and a library of commissioned photographs
 
Title A collection of drawings of men in early years education for GenderEYE 
Description As part of the GenderEYE project we commissioned a professional artist to produce 8 drawings (sketches) to reflect some of the themes from the GenderEYE study. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact One of the key findings of the GenderEYE study was the importance of using images of male practitioners in order to recruit more men into early years education. We also found there was a lack of images available for this purpose. Furthermore there was an absence of images showing non-white male practitioners. We requested that the drawings represented not only male and female practitioners but also male practitioners from different ethnic backgrounds. The drawings were used in order to promote the GenderEYE project and key findings. We received very positive feedback on the drawings on the GenderEYE Twitter page. We also made the drawings publicly available alongside other donated images on the GenderEYE website. We received positive feedback about the images from a number of early years organization that indicated they would use the images in their work. 
URL https://gendereye.org/image-bank/
 
Title ESRC Festival of Social Science - Men at Work in the Nursery: An Online Exhibition 
Description The GenderEYE team presented a series of images from the project in an online exhibition as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2020 During this interactive event the GenderEYE team presented a collection of photographs and drawings which showed men in caring roles with children, such as reading stories, imaginative play, washing hands and wiping noses. Through an interactive forum, there was be an opportunity for participants to discuss the images and share their thoughts on this important topic. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact This event was attended by the general public, academics and representatives from local government and early years organisations. Participants gave very positive feedback about the event through an online feedback form. Please find some feedback on the event below: Feedback 1: I thought it was a great session. First the structure of the session - the pictures and the poll were very engaging and thought provoking. I come from a sports background and looking at how coaches show care so despite differences in disciplines I found many similarities and it was very interesting. Thank you (Higher Education student). Feedback 2: Lovely way of sharing the pictures and outcomes of the study. Thank you. (General Public). Feedback 3: So good to be able to attend. It wouldn't be possible to get to a live event from central Scotland. Good to have the additional resources. Thank You (Charity NGO). Feedback 4: The imagery was very helpful in reflecting on values and practice, thank you for the opportunity. (Local Government). Feedback 5: I am writing this email with great elan to express my appreciation for the exhibition and the international exposure that this work has given to our efforts in recruiting, supporting, and retaining male educators in the early childhood workforce. I feel great energy upon seeing information about the NYC men and their affiliations on the exhibition. This documentation is quite inspiring to me, and it is a meaningful way to validate our work as early childhood researchers, teacher educators, and practitioners. It is important for the world to know that we value collaboratives that support male educators in early childhood education. Lastly, I am seizing the opportunity to share your letter with my colleagues in the New York City Early Childhood Research Network, the teacher education programs in the City University of New York, and the Foundation for Child Development, which has provided unprecedented support to our research on the experiences of male educators in the early years (Early Years Academic, New York). 
URL https://gendereye.org/outputs/online-exhibition/
 
Title Image Bank - Men in Early Years Education 
Description We have create a bank of images of men in early years education and have made this available to the public on the GenderEYE webiste for the purposes of training and recuitment. Some of these images have been specially commissioned as part of the GenderEYE study and others have been donated to the project by individuals and groups involved in research and development of mixed gender workforces. The drawings have been produced by a professional artist and reflect some of the main findings of our study. 
Type Of Art Artefact (including digital) 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact We have received positive feedback on the image bank from the GenderEYE contacts and a number of organisations have informed us that they will forward the link on to their contacts. 
URL https://gendereye.org/image-bank/
 
Title Photograph collection of Men in Nursery Setting 
Description A collection of photographs of men in a nursery setting (Lancaster University Nursery) has been commission and produced as part of this project. Before now, photographs of this king have been limited. The photos will be used on the GenderEYE website and at events and in training material throughout the course of this project. 
Type Of Art Image 
Year Produced 2019 
Impact Not at present. It is currently too soon to tell. 
 
Description Key finding 1: Absence of strategy in recruiting and supporting male practitioners
There is no clear overall strategy to bring men into EYs. For example, less than 1 in 5 (14%) of managers report having used specific strategies, and 50% of settings have received no applications from male practitioners. It is often isolated individuals or settings that take small but significant steps towards recruiting men, including informal talks; developing a clear setting ethos and casting a wider net to attract practitioners from different subject areas.

Key finding 2: Instability within Men's Careers in EYs: "Men on the Move". The qualitative data shows that men experience a greater sense of precariousness within their careers than their female counterparts, and that men are more likely to move in, on and out of early years than women (either to new settings, posts or sectors). Most managers (55%) reported that male staff stay in post for less time than their female colleagues and more than half (51% of men vs 6% of women) have contemplated leaving the profession due to concerns around allegations of sexual abuse. Figures suggest that a significant but small proportion of male practitioners are disappointed with support, especially peer support and working relationships. Although there is a level of gender blindness around providing support specifically to men, the qualitative data shows that tailored support (based on the principles of equity rather than equality) in moments of vulnerability is key to retaining male practitioners.

Key finding 3: Roles: the same but different
The EYs practitioner is viewed as a genderless role. This rhetoric suggests that male and female practitioners are 'the same' (not affected by gender) but also 'different', bringing a range of skills and personalities (the 'rounded' team). However, in practice, gender stereotypes slip into the practitioner role, and male practitioners may adopt, be allocated or excluded from specific (gendered) tasks. For example, quantitative data shows that 70% male vs 46% female practitioners enjoy 'rough and tumble'; 78% of female vs 48% of male practitioners enjoy dance. Almost one in five managers (17%) reported that they do not always assign the same tasks to male and female practitioners; in some cases men's participation in certain aspects of early years work is restricted (managers say 12% rarely do nappy changing, for example; 13% rarely write reports or do learning assessments). The emphasis on the 'genderless practitioner' may obscure the less visible ways in which roles are sometimes allocated or undertaken according to gender (gender blindness).

Key Finding 4:Absence of Gender Awareness/Sensitivity Training
The data shows that mixed gender workforces bring opportunities to challenge gender stereotypes and understandings of difference (throwing a stone in the pond metaphor). Male and female practitioners 'do' gender sensitivity through the rhetoric of the 'genderless child' (boys and girls are the same/can be who they want to be). However, both male and female practitioners experience tensions around gender either with colleagues or with parents, and it is often left to individual practitioners to manage these. Gender awareness/sensitivity is not part of EY curriculum and is rarely explored systematically within training. The quantitative data shows that less than a third (30%) of early years practitioners felt there were formal/ structured discussions about gender relating to staff at their setting. Less than 1 in 5 (16%) had participated in a gender-based intervention (e.g. gender awareness / unconscious bias training). There is a need for both formal and informal training which can support practitioners on managing key issues around gender but also in creating a unified, embedded whole sector/setting approach on how gender should be explored in early years education.
Exploitation Route The End of Project report provides an in depth discussion of the key findings presented at the End of Project conference in an accessible language for all.

The Toolkit compliments the End of Project Report and is a resource for managers of early years settings/ organisations, and others who have an interest in developing more gender-diverse teams and supporting them to deliver more gender-sensitive practice. Based around the 4 key findings of the ESRC-funded GenderEYE study, the Toolkit offers themes and exercises to help you and your team audit and redesign your approach to gender.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy,Government, Democracy and Justice
URL https://gendereye.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/gendereye-final-end-of-project-report-28-oct.pdf
 
Description 1. Government Review on Impact of Covid on Education and Children's Services The findings of the the GenderEYE study were used in a report for the UK Parliamentary Education Committee studying the impacts of Covid-19 on Education and Children's Services. Professor Jo Warin (GenderEYE project PI) collated the response to an inquiry by the Department for Education. This included various elements of Covid-focused research and expertise within the Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education at Lancaster University. Some of the findings of the GenderEYE study were included in this report. The report can be found here: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/9042/html/ 2. Additional Training for Recruiting and Supporting Men in EYs As part of the GenderEYE project, the GenderEYE team and the Fatherhood Institute organised training on how to recruit and support men in early years education based on the findings of the study. As the training was successful, and there was continued interest in the training toolkit, a second training course was organised. 3. CACHE Careers Toolkit webinar for Education and Childcare Professor Jo Warin was invited as a panelists at a careers webinar for education and childcare organised by CACHE (Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education). CACHE (the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education) is the UK's leading sector specialist in health, care and education. It has developed qualifications for over 70 years to more than 1,000 UK-based and overseas delivery partners. During the webinar, Jo Warin alongside other key panelists discussed and responded to questions about the diversity of roles within the early years sector drawing on the findings of the GenderEYE study and the recruitment, support and retention of men in early years education. 4. A report by the European Commission, Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture made reference to the Gender EYE Training Toolkit. The report is titled "ET2020 Working Group. Early Childhood Education and Care. How to recruit, train and motivate well-qualified staff: Final Report 2020". The 2018-2020 working group on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) was established as part of the European union's strategic framework for cooperation in education and training ('ET2020'). The working group, which included representatives from 35 countries, European stakeholder groups and European and international agencies set out to identify policies and activities which would increase quality in ECEC through strengthening social inclusion in ECEC and supporting the further professionalisation of ECEC staff. The ET2020 report makes reference to the GenderEYE Training Toolkit page 53. It says: "The GenderEYE Toolkit presents findings from research on obstacles to gender diversity in the ECEC workforce and reviews possible solutions. It shares resources developed by ECEC settings and proposes a 3-step strategy for ECEC settings to improve their recruitment processes in order to attract more men" p.53 The report can be found here: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/308643fa-678c-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-190311702
First Year Of Impact 2020
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description CACHE Careers Toolkit Webinar for Education and Childcare
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact Professor Jo Warin was invited as a panelists at a careers webinar for education and childcare organised by CACHE (Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education). CACHE (the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education) is the UK's leading sector specialist in health, care and education. It has developed qualifications for over 70 years to more than 1,000 UK-based and overseas delivery partners. During the webinar, Jo Warin alongside other key panelists discussed and responded to questions about the diversity of roles within the early years sector drawing on the findings of the GenderEYE study and the recruitment, support and retention of men in early years education. In total, 238 participants registered - 178 watched live and remaining participants had access to the recording. The attendees were representatives from: private training providers, College tutors/curriculum leads (majority of attendees), Schools inc V1th Form, local authorities, early years settings, one other Awarding Organisation, internal NCFE CACHE staff and misc. (25), using a private email address.
URL https://cachealumni.imiscloud.com/Public/Public/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=CAREERTOOL
 
Description Report by the European Commission, Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture
Geographic Reach Europe 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
URL https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/308643fa-678c-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1/langua...
 
Description UK Parliamentary Education Committee - Impact of Covid-19 on Education and Children's Services
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/9042/html/
 
Description ESRC Festival Social Science Award
Amount £1,000 (GBP)
Funding ID SZA7003XS21 
Organisation Economic and Social Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2020 
End 11/2020
 
Description UKRI COVID-19 Grant Extension Allocation (CoA)
Amount £28,834 (GBP)
Organisation United Kingdom Research and Innovation 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2020 
End 09/2021
 
Title Sketches/ Drawing 
Description As part of the GenderEYE project we planned to commision a set of professional photographs of diverse men working in early years education. In the first half of the project we commissioned one set of images and had planned to collect a second batch towards the end of the project. However, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, we were unable to gain access to early settings in order to produce the images. As an alternative, we commissioned a series of professional drawings with the aim of representing the diversity of men working in early years settings (men of different ethic backgrounds) and to reflect some of the findings from the study. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The drawings supported the presentation of the GenderEYE findings during the end of project conference. They also formed part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science Online Exhibition 'Men at Work in the Nursery' A Collection of Images. All of these images (drawings and photographs) are available for use on the GenderEYE website. We refer to the set of drawings as a 'research tool' or method because they can be used to reflect some of the tensions found within the study (men changing babies nappies) and some of the possibilities (men and women working together caring for young children). The drawings are a powerful tool for communicating elements of the study that cannot always be so easily represented in others ways. For example, it is not feasible/ethical to create an image of a male practitioner changing a baby's nappy however this image can be sketched. In this way, we concluded that the commissioned drawings proved to be a valuable and new research tool in this field of research. 
URL https://gendereye.org/image-bank/
 
Title Vignettes 
Description We had planned to include in the GenderEYE end of project conference a series of 'performed ethnographies' as a way to present the findings of the study and stimulate discussion. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the conference was held online and the performaned ethnographies were considered less appropriate/effective. As an alternative to the performed ethnographies, we created a series of 'vignettes'. These short written scenes were based on empirical data from the GenderEYE project (interviews, focus groups and observations) and highlighted some of themes from the findings of the study. The vignettes were used in the GenderEYE Training Toolkit. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The vignettes were used in the GenderEYE Training Toolkit. They drew on real-life examples from the empirical data and supported the 4 training sessions organised by the Fatherhood Institute on the gender diversification of the early years workforce. 
URL https://gendereye.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/gendereye-toolkit.pdf
 
Title Case Studies 
Description There are 7 case studies in total. Each case study includes 6-8 interviews with male and female practitioners; 1-2 interviews with manager(s) of early years settings; 1-2 focus groups with male and female practitioners and 1 day of observation notes of sessions with male/female practitioners and children. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The findings from this dataset can be found in the GenderEYE report available on the GenderEYE website. 
URL https://gendereye.org/outputs/report-and-toolkit/
 
Title GenderEYE Contacts 
Description This is an overall database of contacts linked with Early Years Education in the UK. Further contacts liked to the project from Europe have also been added (e.g. project partners and Steering Group members). 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact This database, compiled through a variety of sources (e.g. Hub Seminars, website and social media publicity, emails directly to the project) provides a multipurpose list of contacts which will form the basis of much of the research carried out over the course of the GenderEYE project. 
 
Title Hub Seminar Interviews 
Description The hub seminars include focus groups with key figures from (or relevant to) the early years world including practitioners, managers, EY consultants, careers advisers, local county/city council employees and those with an interest in early years education. The GenderEYE team conducted 4 hub seminars in selected UK localities; London (1 focus group), Bradford (2 focus groups), Southampton (2 focus groups), Bristol (2 focus groups). 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The findings from this dataset can be found in the GenderEYE report available on the GenderEYE website. 
URL https://gendereye.org/outputs/report-and-toolkit/
 
Title Supporting Interviews 
Description This includes 15 one-to-one interviews with key figures of early years education such as teacher trainers, training providers, EY consultants, careers advisers and representatives of early years organisations. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The findings from the supporting interviews can be found in the GenderEYE report currently available on the GenderEYE webiste. 
URL https://gendereye.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/gendereye-final-end-of-project-report-28-oct.pdf
 
Title Survey 
Description The survey includes 3 sets of data: 1. A 'speedy survey for managers of early years settings with 3 questions. 2. A longer 10 minute survey for managers of early years settings. 3. A 10 minute survey for practitioners (male and female) of early years settings. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The survey... 
 
Description Fatherhood Institute 
Organisation Fatherhood Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The GenderEYE project provided another platform for the Fatherhood Institute to promote the Men in Early Years campaign. It also provided academic expertise and contacts in the field of gender, diversity and early years education.
Collaborator Contribution The Fatherhood Institute provided expertise, support and key contacts in campaigning for men in early years education. He founded the #MITEY (Men In The Early Years) campaign and is deputy chair of the Department for Education's Gender Diversity Task and Finish Group. The gender diversity task and finish group includes practitioners, training providers, unions, academics and employers. This group provided information to the Department for Education on the factors influencing the number of men in childcare and present possible solutions to increase this number.
Impact GenderEYE took part in the MITEY Conference heled in London in 2019. Professor Jo Warin (project PI) was invited as a keynote speaker. GenderEYE and the Fatherhood Institute collaborated on the GenderEYE Training Toolkit (recorded in ResearchFish under Publications).
Start Year 2018
 
Description Queen Maud's University, Norway 
Organisation Queen Maud University College
Country Norway 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have worked with Queen Maud's University College to bring practitioners together to discuss ECE in Norway and the UK. Our team organised the travel for UK participants whilst Kari with a knowledge of the local area did the majority of the work towards this.
Collaborator Contribution Kari Emilson of Queen Maud's University Trondheim Norway is a project partner, with a consultancy fee of £6,224 for two weeks work on the project ( at 800 Nkr an hour: 75x800 =60.000 Nkr). She has already contributed her considerable expertise from the Norwegian government led strategy on ECE, as well as her website management experience. (Her government commissioned web site for the recruitment of male ECE practitioners, www.mennibarnehagen.no is still operational with Emilsen as overall editor). She has liaised closely with JD to setup the project website and maintain ongoing communication channels between Norwegian and UK ECE managers and practitioners via a closed FB group. She has organised the initial one day Knowledge Exchange conference at QMU drawing together key Norwegian ECE stakeholders to meet with the UK project team and the four UK hub leaders. She will be a key player in the steering group and contribute to academic outputs with a major presence at the EOP conference.
Impact 1. The initiation of ideas towards our first conference abstracts and papers - these have not yet been finalised and therefore are not reported elsewhere 2. The establishment of a closed Facebook group for continued communication between practitioners.
Start Year 2018
 
Title GenderEYE Image Bank 
Description The GenderEYE image bank is a collection of images (drawings and photographs) of men at work in early years education. It shows diverse men occupying a variety of roles with young children in early years settings, such as reading, painting, cuddling, wiping children's noses, serving food and doing physical play. The images are available on the GenderEYE webiste and can be used for training and recruitment purposes. 
IP Reference  
Protection Trade Mark
Year Protection Granted 2020
Licensed No
Impact A key finding from the GenderEYE study shows that images of male practitioners are important for recruiting and retaining male early years practitioners. However, there are few images currently available. We have therefore made the images (drawings and photographs) available to anyone who wishes to increase the number of male practitioners. We have received positive feedback early years settings about the images. A number of settings have informed us they will use these in their publicity materials.
 
Title GenderEYE Report 
Description The GenderEYE report includes the findings from the GenderEYE study. It is available and free for download from the GenderEYE webiste. 
IP Reference  
Protection Trade Mark
Year Protection Granted 2020
Licensed No
Impact The GenderEYE report include evidenced findings on the gender diversification of the early years workforce. It is a valuable tool for early years organisations, EY professionals, training providers, careers advisers and EY settings. It has been downloaded from the GenderEYE webiste ....
 
Title GenderEYE Training Toolkit 
Description The GenderEYE Training Toolkit is a resource for managers of early years settings/ organisations, and others who have an interest in developing more gender-diverse teams and supporting them to deliver more gender-sensitive practice. Based around the 4 key findings of the ESRC-funded GenderEYE study, the Toolkit offers themes and exercises to help early years managers and teams audit and redesign their approach to gender. By the 15th February 2021 the toolkit had been downloaded by members of the public 290 times. 
IP Reference  
Protection Trade Mark
Year Protection Granted 2020
Licensed No
Impact The GenderEYE Training Toolkit is available and free for download on the GenderEYE webiste. It was used as a basis for the training for mangers of EY settings in the recruitment and support of men of male practitioners. The feedback from this training was very positive - please find some below some feedback on the training toolkit: "The two ways that I intend to disseminate all the nuggets of wisdom above are firstly through training which I run on meeting the needs of boys, and reconvening the [Anonymised Town] men in Early Years group (which came about following the MITEY conference). I also want to make use of the links at the back of the toolkit and share them with colleagues" Early Years Consultant "The toolkit is wonderful, and I am meeting with HR to look at our job adverts in more detail. I want to show them the gender bias decoder and I hope it can support recruitment going forward". Early Years Setting Manager "I will be sharing the toolkit with my staff and encouraging them to visit the useful websites" Early Years Setting Manager
 
Title GenderEYE Blog 
Description The GenderEYE Blog is an online platform to share articles/pieces of writing on the GenderEYE project or on the topic of men in early years. It is located within the GenderEYE webiste. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact The blog has enabled us to maintain contact with individuals and groups involved in the project and thereby strengthening relationships between the research team and key stakeholders. It has also provided an opportunity for individuals involved in GenderEYE to write about their experiences of the project, and of recruit and supporting men in early years education. For example, one blog was written by the manager of an early settings that attended the Knowledge Exchange event in Norway. The blog has also enabled us to establish or follow up new contacts made through attending conferences and EY events. For example, a second blog was contributed by a male early years manager active in trying to recruit male practitioner. This contact was initially unknown to the project and after meeting with manager during an EY event we were able to involve them in the project through the online blog. 
URL https://gendereye.org/blog/
 
Title GenderEYE Website 
Description The GenderEYE website has been 'live' since the beginning of the project (Sept 2018). It includes up to date information about the project; the research team, who they are and any conferences they have attended, or papers they have written; the findings, including the end of project report and toolkit, and the GenderEYE image bank. Publications from the project can also be found here and there are links to further resources such as the MITEY (Men in the Early Years) website. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2019 
Impact The website has been an important and valuable tool in the GenderEYE project. It has given legitimacy to the project. For example, during the recruitment phase of the project, the research participants have been able to verify the authenticity of the project by accessing the website. It has allowed us to promote the project and provided a platform for individuals to contact the research team. More specifically, it has allowed us to promote the online surveys. The webiste was produced through Wordpress. This platform permits the research team to monitor the number of visitors to the website over several months. This has been particulary useful for deciding when to promote the project through the media (quiet periods/low number of visitors) and establishing the ways in which the project may be influenced by external events (busy periods/high number of visitors). It has also enabled us o monitor interest from visitors of different countries. In the month of October, when we held the end of project conference, the GenderEYE website had 519 visitors and 1,132 views from 24 different nations. 
URL https://gendereye.org
 
Description Barnehage Article Norway KE 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article in Norwegian on Norway Knowledge Exchange for practitioners.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.barnehage.no/artikler/onsker-flere-mannlige-ansatte-i-britiske-barnehager-ser-til-norge/...
 
Description Big EY Debate (CEEDA) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentations from leading early years figures on the direction of childcare policy and government investment in early years. Presentations also from leading sector experts on managing costs and investing in long-term sustainability. Round-table discussions to find solutions to EY crisis. Opportunities for networking (contacts with teacher trainers/employment agencies/large EY organisations).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.ceeda.co.uk/events/thebigeydebate/
 
Description CACHE Careers Toolkit Webinar for Education and Childcare 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Professor Jo Warin was invited as a panelists at a careers webinar for education and childcare organised by CACHE (Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education). CACHE (the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education) is the UK's leading sector specialist in health, care and education. It has developed qualifications for over 70 years to more than 1,000 UK-based and overseas delivery partners. During the webinar, Jo Warin alongside other key panelists discussed and responded to questions about the diversity of roles within the early years sector drawing on the findings of the GenderEYE study and the recruitment, support and retention of men in early years education.

In total, 238 participants registered - 178 watched live and remaining participants had access to the recording. The attendees were representatives from: private training providers, College tutors/curriculum leads (majority of attendees), Schools inc V1th Form, local authorities, early years settings, one other Awarding Organisation, internal NCFE CACHE staff and misc. (25), using a private email address.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://cachealumni.imiscloud.com/Public/Public/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=CAREERTOOL
 
Description CNS News - project launch 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The project launch was covered by CNS news right at the beginning of the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/kevin-mccandless/uk-girls-are-not-taking-traditionally-male-job...
 
Description Daily Politics show inerview 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact An interview was recorded in the Lancaster University Nursery discussing the main aims of the project and issues surrounding the subject area. It was broadcast as a piece in the Daily Politics Show and received positive comments from the politician and representative present on the show that day.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0c01l7n
 
Description Discovery Society article 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Article detailing the GenderEYE project's desire to disentangle the 3% statistic about men working in early years education by Joann Wilkinson and Jeremy Davies.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://discoversociety.org/2020/01/08/viewpoint-why-are-so-few-men-involved-in-educating-britains-y...
 
Description End of Project Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact 122 people applied for tickets and thus received materials following the conference including access to training, the Toolkit and the End of Project Report.
61 people attended the end of project conference via Zoom on the 9th October 2020.
34 attendees responded to the conference feedback.


82% of attendees found the event either extremely valuable or very valuable.


94% of conference attendees confirmed that the study research findings would influence their own views and behaviour in the future; with over half committing to pass on the GenderEYE Project report to colleagues and over half also omitting to promote the GenderEYE Toolkit.

Attendees were asked to specifiy one action they planned to commit to following the conference.



Implement into policy: 1

Implement into practice: 2

Implement into further academic research: 1

Implement into teaching: 1

Implement into training: 3

Implement into advice and guidance : 2

Students implementing findings in assignments: 2

Analysis of internal recruitment processes: 4

Pass on findings to colleagues: 2


Examples of specific actions include:

"Pass the toolkit to managers in my setting"



"The toolkit will be referenced in the Guide which the European Commission is preparing to "recruit, retain and train ECEC staff for more quality in ECEC" (to be published in November)"

"share findings with the cross government policy group looking at supporting the Early Years sector post Covid."


'Embedding the findings into curriculum design at university"

'influence and inspire through qualification development, advice and media reach'

'Look at whether there is anything we should be doing within our planned Birth to Five Matters guidance in relation to this.'

'change the language on job vacancies'

'How can our organisation can provide better careers advice on EYE careers in schools in Wales.'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gendereye-end-of-project-conference-tickets-116331918901
 
Description End of Project Nursery World Article 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact article written to publicise and promote the findings of the study
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/men-in-childcare-now-is-a-crucial-time-to-act
 
Description End of Project Training 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 16 people have been training and 20 more are due to be training in November 2020 by the Fatherhood Institute.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Equal Play Event - London 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The event provided an excellent local publicity opportunity in one of the hub areas for the project as well as good networking opportunities with practitioners and UK representatives from this field.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Fatherhood Institute Newsletter for Survey Launch 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article written to publicise and promote survey launch to reach target audience through online MITEY newsletter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://mailchi.mp/fatherhoodinstitute.org/latest-news-from-the-fatherhood-institute-kottzpxkj7
 
Description Foundation Years article linked to the survey launch 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article written to publicise and promote survey launch to reach target audience through Foundation Years readership.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description GenderEYE Closed Facebook Group Establishment 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Our closed facebook group allows practitioners and interested stakeholders to converse in GenderEYE related dialoge in a closed, safe space. There are 27 practitioners currently signed up.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.facebook.com/groups/284023142229895/
 
Description GenderEYE Twitter account establishment 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Our twitter account allows current project news to be shared internationally and for both practitioners and the general public to engage with our current activities; with 191 followers so far
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://twitter.com/GenderEYE
 
Description GenderEYE website production 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A standalone project website has been produced with the capacity to feature blogs and project outputs which will allow our project to be viewed internationally; as it already has done in over 10 countries
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL http://www.genderEYE.org
 
Description Guardian article 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Tweets related to the Guardian article received a large number of shares in social media and we saw an increased number of views of the website following this. The article also sparked emails from the One Show and the Daily Politics show, as well as members of the public.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/13/drive-aims-increase-number-men-early-years-educati...
 
Description Hub meeting Bradford 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Our Bradford Hub meeting allowed the findings from the Norway Knowledge Exchange to be disseminated to local practitioners and stakeholders, sparking debate in group conversations afterwards which were recorded.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Hub meeting Bristol 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Our Bristol Hub meeting allowed the findings from the Norway Knowledge Exchange to be disseminated to local practitioners and stakeholders, sparking debate in group conversations afterwards which were recorded.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Hub meeting London 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Our London Hub meeting allowed the findings from the Norway Knowledge Exchange to be disseminated to local practitioners and stakeholders, sparking debate in group conversations afterwards which were recorded.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Hub meeting Southampton 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Our Southampton Hub meeting allowed the findings from the Norway Knowledge Exchange to be disseminated to local practitioners and stakeholders, sparking debate in group conversations afterwards which were recorded.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description JD Interview Nursery World 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This article was based on Jeremy and the Fatherhood Institute's involvement in the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/other/1166197/interview-jeremy-davies
 
Description June O'Sullivan blog post 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The project was mentioned in a wider blog post by June O'Sullivan, linked to the London Hubs (LEYF).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/the-early-years-blog/2006126/do-men-in-childcare-matter-what-do-the-chi...
 
Description MITEY Conference Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A workshop session within the MITEY conference was attended by 20 people on the topic of the 'value of single sex support groups' resulting in discussions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://miteyuk.org/2019/06/14/mitey-2019-register-for-our-free-conference-now/
 
Description MITEY Conference presentation by Jo Warin on the GenderEYE project (4th National Conference) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation to ALL attendees at the MITEY conference on the GenderEYE project and a launch of the project survey, undertaken by Jo Warin. Representation by the whole team at the conference.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://miteyuk.org/2019/06/14/mitey-2019-register-for-our-free-conference-now/
 
Description MITEY Newsletter piece for survey launch 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article written to publicise and promote survey launch to reach target audience through online MITEY newsletter
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://mailchi.mp/fatherhoodinstitute/mitey-network-news-october-2019
 
Description Mention of Jo Warin and GenderEYE project in wider gender-related Nursery World article 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Inclusion of the GenderEYE project and research by Jo Warin in a wider gender-related article for nursery and pre-school practitioners.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/features/article/inclusion-free-to-choose
 
Description Naomi Blackwood blog post - Norway KE 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Naomi (an UK practitioner who attended the Norway Knowledge Exchange) felt empowered to write a blog post on her experiences during the visit.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://juneosullivan.com/?p=860
 
Description North-west news 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The Daily Politics Show interview was also show in the North-west news as a feature item.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Norway Knowledge Exchange 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact The knowledge exchange at the lauch of the project, created excellent dialogue between practitioners in Norway and the UK; with interestig comparisons and contrasts being noted. The event sparked a two media posts in Norway and a blog post from one of the attendees from the UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Nursery World Article for Survey Launch 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article written to publicise and promote survey launch to reach target audience through Nursery World readership.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/survey-to-look-at-why-so-few-men-work-in-childcare
 
Description Paper presentation - GEA conference (Portsmouth) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation to approx. 25 academics on "Recruitment, support and retention of men in the EY workforce". A contact made during this session has created the outcome of a co-author of an academic paper with the team members.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Paper presentation at EECERA Conference (Thessalonika) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation on single-sex to approximately 25 academics.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Phys.org - End of project article 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Article written to publicise and promote the findings of the study with a reach of c.100,000
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://phys.org/news/2020-10-uk-early-years-sector-strategy.html
 
Description Presentation at Anna Freud Conference by Joann Wilkinson 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Conference presentation about the project and the value of mixed gender EY workforces/having more men in EYE. Conference focused on children's mental health and wellbeing and attendees included therapists, health visitors, midwives, social workers, GPs, EY practitioners, support workers etc. Joann's presentation aimed to highlight possible links between mixed gender workforces, gender and mental health/wellbeing. Participants were interested in the project and in particular, links between having more men in early years and greater involvement of fathers in children's wellbeing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.annafreud.org/training/training-and-conferences-overview/conferences-and-seminars/the-pa...
 
Description Public Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Professor Jo Warin was invited to speak at a Public Lecture online at Lancaster University on the topic of children and education. In this Public Lecture, three experts from Lancaster University discussed the impact of the pandemic on education and the lives of children. They explored how this situation has led many to revisit the role and purpose of schools, and revealed the challenges but also the opportunities of online learning, and discuss what measures or policies could be put into place to limit the loss of education and learning opportunities. This invitation was a follow-on from the Paliamentary Committe Report organised by Professor Jo Warin which discussed the impact of Covid-19 on education and which included findings from the GenderEYE study.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/events/public-lectures/
 
Description Steering Group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact The establishment of the Steering Group has created a small network of UK and international academics specifically talking on this subject and supporting the Closed-Facebook group
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Trondheim Kommune blog post 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Blog post on municipality website in Norwegian.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.trondheim.kommune.no/aktuelt/nyheter/--hjelp-oss-a-fa-flere-menn-i-britiske-barnehager/
 
Description UK Ed Chat - End of project article 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Online article written to publicise and promote the findings of the study . A link was provided to the full report from the website
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://ukedchat.com/2020/10/09/early-years-male-staff/
 
Description Welsh Conference attended by Joann 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Joann presented at a conference for a project promoting teaching Welsh to pre-school children. Joann provided an introduction to the GenderEYE project. Joann fed back that the audience was predominantly female.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.meithrin.cymru/