Students’ Views on the Teaching Profession in Elementary School Anita Mirjanić
Summary: Predominance of women labour force in the elementary school has been going on gradually. In this article a brief historical-sociological overview of the development of education with the emphasis on gender ratio is presented. Both aspects are necessary for a better understanding of women predominance in teaching profession in elementary school. I also present the part of the research which reveals that teachers in elementars school meet with students‘ stereotypes, connected with this profession. The research includes students of elementary school. According to the opinion of participants in the survey the teaching profesion is still mainly women‘s profession because empathy, kindness and the joy of working with children is expected, which in conventional views on men and women are more true for women. Participating students think that they try harder for the subjects of male teachers and they take them more seriously as well. Main reasons why so few men decide for a teaching profession to their opinion are the lack of knowledge about child education or working strategies with children and men‘s desire for more important and more demanding work.