Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Gender and the Teaching Profession: A Study of Kwara State College of Education, Nigeria
Abstract
Background of study: Teaching is traditionally seen as a gendered profession, with women predominantly occupying classroom roles while men hold leadership positions. In Nigeria, this gender imbalance is deeply rooted in cultural perceptions linking nurturing with femininity and authority with masculinity. This study explores how such gender stereotypes influence career choices, professional identities, and leadership aspirations among pre-service teachers in Kwara State Colleges of Education.
Aims and scope of paper: The study aims to investigate pre-service teachers' perceptions of gender and the teaching profession, focusing on the impact of gender stereotypes on their career choices, professional identity, and leadership aspirations within Nigerian teacher education institutions.
Methods: A descriptive survey design was used, with 400 pre-service teachers selected through stratified random sampling from the Ilorin and Oro campuses of Kwara State Colleges of Education. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Result: The study found that while most pre-service teachers did not believe gender determined teaching competence, they still viewed teaching as more suited to women. Gender stereotypes influenced career decisions, with female students often encouraged to pursue teaching for its stability, while male students perceived it as less prestigious. While respondents acknowledged global trends of feminisation, they noted that gender equality campaigns had limited local impact. Additionally, gendered perceptions were shown to affect recruitment dynamics, professional identity development, and leadership representation.
Conclusion: The study concludes that teaching in Nigeria remains both numerically feminised and structurally masculinised. It highlights the need for gender-sensitive policies, inclusive curricula, and institutional reforms to promote balanced representation and foster sustainable educational leadership in Nigerian teacher education.
References
Adelokun, D. A. (2025). Recruitment, Training, Deployment, Professional Development, and Professionalisation of Teachers in Nigeria: A Critical Appraisal. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(2), 795-804.
Adisa, T. A., Mordi, C., Simpson, R., & Iwowo, V. (2021). Social dominance, hypermasculinity, and career barriers in Nigeria. Gender, Work & Organisation, 28(1), 175-194.
Allu, D. A. (2021). Exploring Science Educators’ Reproduction and Subversion of Gender Stereotyping in a College of Education in Nigeria (Doctoral dissertation, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood).
Allu, D., Govender, N., & James, A. (2022). Cultural production, reproduction and subversion of gender stereotyping among pre-service science teachers: Insights from science educators. Education Sciences, 12(9), 621.
Amosun, M., Ogunniyi, L., & Ogunbiyi, F. (2021). Attitude of male in-service and preservice early childhood teachers towards working in preschool centres in Ibadan, Nigeria. International Journal of Emerging Issues in Early Childhood Education, 3(2), 48-56.
Awokoya, J. (2012). Identity constructions and negotiations among 1.5-and second-generation Nigerians: The impact of family, school, and peer contexts. Harvard Educational Review, 82(2), 255-281.
Brinia, V. (2012). Men vs women; educational leadership in primary schools in Greece: an empirical study. International Journal of Educational Management, 26(2), 175-191.
Brody, D. L. (2015). The construction of masculine identity among men who work with young children: An international perspective. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(3), 351-361.
Brooks, R. (2023). Femininity, Class and Status: The societal devaluation of the female early years workforce (Doctoral dissertation, University of Derby).
Davis, S. N. (2020). The work–family interface in a gendered cultural context: Cross-national analysis of work stress. International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 20(1), 53-69.
Dean, C. M. (2022). A Qualitative Study of the Factors that Support Female Educators While Raising Young Children. Doctoral Dissertation, Southeastern University.
Eagly, A. H., Woo, W., & Diekman, A. B. (2012). Social role theory of sex differences and similarities: A current appraisal. In The developmental social psychology of gender (pp. 123-174). Psychology Press.
Estrada, C., Felix, E. R., Vedar, E. N. R., & Perez, E. J. (2024). Latina community college presidents: Drawing from cultural intuition to disrupt leadership norms in higher education. Education Sciences, 15(1), 35.
Fafunwa, A. B. (2018). History of education in Nigeria. Routledge.
Hsiao, H. (2023). A cross-national study of family-friendly policies, gender egalitarianism, and work–family conflict among working parents. Plos one, 18(9), e0291127.
Kark, R., Preser, R., & Zion-Waldoks, T. (2016). From a politics of dilemmas to a politics of paradoxes: Feminism, pedagogy, and women’s leadership for social change. Journal of Management Education, 40(3), 293-320.
Kundu, A., & Basu, A. (2022). Feminisation of the teaching profession and patriarchy. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 36(1-3), 8-18.
Mekonnin, L. (2014). Females' Participation in Educational Leadership in Secondary Schools of Ilu Aba Bora Zone (Doctoral dissertation, The Institute of Development Studies and Partner Organisations).
Mohammed, A. S., Amoah, C., Bala Abdulai, I., Timothy Oluwafemi, A., & Abbas, J. (2025). Examining gender disparities in pre-service teachers’ satisfaction levels across educational facilities. Facilities, 43(5/6), 320-346.
Moreau, M. P. (2019). Teachers, gender and the feminisation debate. Routledge.
Odidi, M. O. (2019). The Church and social responsibilities: A case study of the development of Church schools in the Diocese of Kaduna, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion (Doctoral dissertation, University of the South).
Okoli, A. C. (2025). Dwindling Male Enrolment in Teacher Education in South East Nigeria: A Case of Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra State, Nigeria. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 11(9s), 289-295.
Osiesi, M. P., Fajobi, O. O., Oke, C. C., & Aruleba, A. L. (2022). Gender's Impact on Teachers' Perceived Training, Societal Status, and Remuneration in Ekiti State Secondary Schools, Nigeria. Gender and Behaviour, 20(2), 19525-19532.
Osiesi, M. P., Olatunbosun, S. O., Olayiwola-Adedoja, T. O., Okunade, A. I., Olayinka, F. O, Ajimuse, M. S., Irewole, M.O., Oderinwale, T.A. & Blignaut, S. (2025). Perceptions of Preservice Teachers on Teacher Education Curriculum's Relevance and Adequacy for Graduate Transition into the Teaching Profession in Nigeria. International Journal of Pedagogy & Curriculum, 32(1).
Ossai, O. V., & Ramsaroop, S. (2022). Exploring The Perceptions About Male Teachers In Early Grades Across Schools In Nigeria. Webology, 19(4).
Quon, S., Nichols, E., & Tan, J. (2025). Gendered Norms and the Evolution of Early Childhood Education: Historical Influences and Pathways for Change. Theory and Practice in Child Development, 5(1), 26-37.
Raji, T. R. (2024). The Pervasive Influence of Culture on Women’s Leadership Representation in Nigeria (Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology).
Reich-Shapiro, M., Cole, K., & Plaisir, J. Y. (2021). “I am the teacher”: How male educators conceptualise their impact on the early childhood classroom. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 42(4), 381-403.
Sarangapani, P. M., Ramchand, M., & Bawane, J. (2024). The Teaching Profession in India: Growth, Diversification, and Feminisation. In World Yearbook of Education 2025 (pp. 143-159). Routledge.
Stromquist, N. P. (2018). The global status of teachers and the teaching profession. Education International.
Ukpong, D. (2025). Nepotism in Employee Recruitment and Student Admissions in Nigeria’s Tertiary Education System (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
Walker, J., Pearce, C., Boe, K., & Lawson, M. (2019). The Power of Education to Fight Inequality: How increasing educational equality and quality is crucial to fighting economic and gender inequality. Oxfam.
Warin, J., & Gannerud, E. (2014). Gender, teaching and care: A comparative global conversation. Gender and Education, 26(3), 193-199.
Wilfred, S., Kaur, I., & Wason, R. (2023). Overcoming gender segregation: How women can succeed in male-dominated fields. International Journal of Business and Applied Social Sciences, 9(3), 23-27.
