Più maestri tra i banchi di scuola primaria: un’indagine comparativa

It is clear to everyone that primary school teachers are a minority among teachers due to the stereotype of the profession as female, the lack of social prestige and inadequate pay. As primary school children need a relationship with both female and male teachers for pedagogical reasons, governments and universities in various countries on the five continents have taken measures to improve the image of the teaching profession among men and to encourage them to take up studies that will lead them to practise this profession. The decision to valorise and promote the figure of the male teacher is the result of reflection on the various benefits that he can bring to female and male students, especially in primary school. These benefits are evaluated not only in terms of the effectiveness of learning, but also in terms of the dynamics of the balanced construction of the personal identity of female and male pupils. Based on the results of surveys conducted in Sicily over the past ten years, this study presents the motivating factors behind becoming a teacher. Additionally, a comparative survey is currently being conducted, aiming to determine if there are any significant differences between the opinions of a group of seventy-four teachers in Sicily and another group of seventy-four teachers in the autonomous province of Trento. The study seeks to explore how the general public opinion perceives teachers, the level of satisfaction in teaching practice, how parents view teachers, and the reasons for choosing the teaching profession.