This research project addresses a critical gap in South African and global scholarship on gender and teacher education. It investigates the increasing participation of men in the Foundation Phase, a space historically dominated by women and associated with nurturing and caregiving. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of human flourishing, gender role socialization, career choice theory, phenomenology, and hegemonic masculinity, the study examines how male pre-service teachers navigate and transform these gendered spaces. The project employs a mixed-methods exploratory case study design involving surveys, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews with male Foundation Phase students across multiple year levels. It explores how these students experience identity tension, social suspicion, and professional affirmation during their work-integrated learning (WIL) placements. The findings reveal both the challenges, which include marginalization, unconscious bias, and lack of mentorship, and the transformative potential of male educators as role models for young learners, particularly in under-resourced communities. Ultimately, the study positions male Foundation Phase teachers as agents of social change, whose participation challenges restrictive gender norms and promotes more inclusive, diverse, and equitable educational environments. The research contributes to national and international conversations on gender equity in education, the professionalization of teaching, and the future of teacher training in South Africa.

• Investigate the factors contributing to the growing enrolment of male students in the Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase) programmes across South African Universities and Universities of Technology.

• Explore the lived experiences, motivations, and identity negotiations of male pre-service teachers within a feminised educational space.

• Analyse how societal perceptions, cultural norms, and institutional structures shape men’s participation in early childhood education.

• Promote gender inclusivity in teacher education by identifying barriers and proposing evidence-based strategies for recruitment, retention, and professional support.

• Contribute to the redefinition of masculinity in education by foregrounding care, empathy, and emotional intelligence as integral to effective teaching in the early years.