Running head: EVALUATING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER PROGRAM

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Community College

Teacher Preparation Program for Male Teaching Transfer Students
Jeanell Allenegui, Joy Knepper, and Mayra Sierra
Azusa Pacific University

EVALUATING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER PROGRAM

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Community College Teacher Preparation Program for Male
Teaching Transfer Students
In California, every fall semester there are thousands high school and community college
students anxiously applying to four-year universities. It can be a stressful process of making sure
all of the required courses are met, choosing the right schools and majors, and even navigating
through the application itself can be a daunting task, especially for transfer students. While the
freshmen application is quite streamlined, there is not much consistency in the applications for
transfer students (Contomichalos, 2014). While both of these student populations may have
chosen alternate routes in attending a university, the needs of transfer students are quite different
than the typical incoming college freshman.
According to Handel and Williams (as cited in Marling, 2012), even though there are
several students that want to transfer from the community college, most of these transfer students
still have difficulty transitioning to the four-year university. This learning gap of how to grasp the
college and career process, alone, is already an immense undertaking to comprehend and go
through. For two-year institution administration, staff, and faculty, one of the ways that they aim
to support their students is through effective programming. One example is the Center for
Teacher Education (CFTE).
CFTE is a center at a southern California community college that was created in 1999 to
help students in their pathway to achieving their goal of a teaching career. To assist their
students, CFTE provides internship opportunities in the classroom, workshops, activities, and
conferences on teaching best practices, orientations on requirements of being a teacher, a book
loan program, one-on-one appointments with a teacher education representative from a local
four-year university, and most valuable for their transfer students, priority counseling

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appointments with specific teacher education staff. With all of these free resources for students at
the community college, one would hope that CFTE has created a great support system to assist
students to meet their goals of teaching. To evaluate its effectiveness, we sought to know how
well CFTE was specifically supporting its male transfer students who have successfully
transferred to a four-year institution.
Our research questions focus on the following: Did the Center for Teacher Education
(CFTE) at the community college effectively prepare its male transfer students to transition
smoothly to the four-year university? Did CFTE assist its male transfer students in clarifying the
pathway to become a teacher? How can CFTE be improved in order to accommodate the needs
of its male transfer students? These questions are addressed by first explaining the struggles of
transfer students at the community college level, discussion about the importance of teacher
preparation programs like CFTE, and taking a closer look at the experiences of male teachers in
a female-dominated field.
Transfer Students
Every student at a community college is a potential transfer (Marling, 2013). Many are
categorized as nontraditional students, such as those who are underrepresented minorities, lowincome and first-generation, veterans, part-time attendees, full-time workers, elderly members,
and single-parents. These groups of students tend to experience many challenges to get to where
they want to be. They struggle even more when it is time to apply to a four-year institution
because they come across issues that they have never experienced before. These issues include
steps for applying to the college, waiting for their response, and additional steps after being
accepted to the college, such as orientation (Marling, 2013). Not only do they face these
challenges, but prior to those issues they are concerned about transfer requirements, making sure

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they are being advised correctly, and if they will be academically successful at a four-year
institution. In addition, these groups of students often have lower levels of student engagement
than native students, as well as greater need for developmental coursework early in their
academic career (Poisel and Joseph, 2011).
Chin-Newman and Shaw (2013) and Marling (2013) stated that one of the main sources
of anxiety that students feel is whether or not their community college units transfer to the fouryear university. As community college students, they are advised to make sure they are meeting
the general education requirements to transfer, as well as, to take the major preparatory courses
colleges and universities are looking for (Allen, Smith, & Muehleck, 2013). When students are
reaching their last year at their current college they seek advice from a counselor to verify if they
are on the right track. Although they might have been on track throughout their stay, it is
common that many students feel apprehensive of something going wrong.
Moreover, another issue that students go through is not having the courage to apply to a
university. Many feel that they are not prepared to make the next step in their college career.
Some might have taken a break in their education to work and have children, which would make
it difficult to continue on to their Bachelors degree (Chi-Newman and Shaw, 2013). For
example, a single-mother with growing responsibilities saw that the only way to get out of her
current situation was to receive further education (Urso and Ski Sygielski, 2007). In addition,
worries about how to navigate the application process and their transition to a new environment
are also stressors that students encounter. For example, transfers have been attending a
community college for two or more years and have acclimated to the rules and regulations of the
college, but knowing that they will enroll at a much larger institution with new policies and
procedures will make them feel anxious to continue their educational path.

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As Keeley and House (1993) and Townsend (1995) mentioned (as cited in Laanan, 2001),
once students transfer, they often have trouble adjusting to the new campus and enrolling in
courses. It is mostly due to the transfer shock they experience coming from a smaller college to a
bigger and more populated institution. On the other hand, some students are lucky to have
attended a community college first, because they had the opportunity to acquire the skills
necessary to succeed. At the community college, they were encouraged to seek advice, become
involved in leadership positions, interact with people from different origins and backgrounds,
and work on their work-ethic and time-management skills (Urso and Ski Sygielski, 2007).
Furthermore, any student faces obstacles when transferring from one institution to the
next, especially if it is from a community college to a 4-year institution. Fortunately, as
community college students, they have many resources that they can take advantage of such as
academic counseling. As Tovar (2015) mentioned, participating in academically rigorous
programs, counseling-intensive support program, and interacting with faculty and staff
significantly affects Latino/a students success. Tovar primarily talks about Latino/a students, but
this resembles every transfer student equally, more so to those who seek guidance from the start.
Transfer students also have the opportunity to become part of different clubs and organizations,
including Teacher Education Programs for students to obtain valuable information if they are
pursuing the field of teaching.
Community College Teacher Education Programs
In America, a significant number of teachers report they are unprepared when they first
enter the classroom after completing their teacher preparation program (U.S. Department of
Education, 2015). To reverse this trend, community colleges play a significant role in developing
professional skills for future teachers. In fact, before World War II, teacher education was one of

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the primary roles of many community colleges (Hutcheson, 2002). Years later, when the
requirement for teacher certification increased from an associates degree to a bachelor's degree,
community colleges became the primary starting point for teacher education students before they
transferred to the university (Cunniff, Belknap, & Kinholt, 2007).
As part of the role of community colleges to assist students in their teaching pathway,
teacher education programs were created and have been in existence since the early 20th century
(NACCTEP, 2009). These teacher education programs started as providing the foundation of
upper-division coursework, but in recent years their role has evolved to support the rising
diversity of students going to community colleges. Now, forty-seven percent of community
colleges have teacher education programs and 55 percent offer early childhood/family studies
programs (AACC, 2012).
As mentioned earlier, most community college students are nontraditional students and
teacher education programs can provide the extra support they may need to meet their goal of
becoming teachers. Community colleges have implemented teacher education programs to
support students in various ways.
From offering introductory education courses to awarding baccalaureate degrees in
teacher education, some of the most effective strategies from teacher education programs at
community colleges have been (1) 2 + 2 arrangements with teacher education programs at
traditional baccalaureate granting colleges and universities, (2) Alternative certification programs
for post-baccalaureate students, (3) Baccalaureate programs offered by the community college,
and (4) Customized professional development programs created in collaboration with local
school districts (Coulter & Vandal, 2007).

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With these strategies in place, along with other specialized services that teacher education
programs provide, community college students will be much more well-equipped to meeting
their own teaching goals and in turn, this will meet the growing need for more quality teachers.
In addition, as the student population at community colleges is largely becoming diverse, these
teacher education programs increase the diversity of the teaching population. This diversity may
also include male students who want to go into teaching, which, for a long period of time, has
been dominated by females.
Male Teaching Students
As the topic of transfer students and difficulties of the process was researched, there were
two specific key elements that raised curiosity; what colleges provide for transfer students who
want to go into teaching, and why teaching is a female-dominated field. When searching to
discover reasons why females tend to be the majority in the field of teaching, it is essential to
look at cultural views on the matter, stereotypes, and how the identities of teachers are
constructed (Pulsford, 2014). There has been much research done on male teaching and the
breakdown of whether that has benefits or disadvantages for both the male teaching as well as
the students.
Although there is not a reason as to why men are choosing other professions other than
teaching as a career, it is interesting to explore the historical changes in this field. Both
historically and culturally, teaching was a male dominated profession. In many countries men
are/were viewed as being the knowledge-holders and the gender with wisdom to impart on
others, at least in a professional setting. There was a point in history, which is different for each
culture or geographical location, where the switch happened allowing women to use their
motherly instincts for child rearing, yet in a classroom (Skelton, 2012). When women began to

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dominate the classroom and education boards realized that it made sense of women to handle
young children with their stereotypical sensitive and caring characteristics, it suddenly made
society view elementary teaching unfitting for a man. If women are praised for teaching and it is
regarded as embarrassing or no longer a proper job for men, it is evident why males now choose
other professions.
One of the views as to why men do not typically go into teaching is that it is viewed as an
effeminate career. In the book Women Teaching Boys: Caring and Working in The Primary
School, the authors go in depth on the definitional differences between caring about and
caring for which separates motherly care from simply a caring teaching in a professional sense.
They feel that this is an important concept to understand because teaching should be viewed as
an androgynous task as opposed to giving teaching feminine and masculine characteristics
(Ashley & Lee, 2003). Similar to Pulsford (2014) view, Ashley and Lee (2003) focus on social
constructions and use a framework that breaks down the stereotypes that women are naturally
suited for caring for young children in the same way that men are not innately skilled in areas
that require cognitive knowledge, rational reasoning, and direct focus. These types of stereotypes
are a key reason why perhaps males do not feel comfortable choosing this as a career path.
Much of the research done on this topic of male teachers leads back to gender identity
and it is structured around how social constructs are designed. Pulsford (2014) references a book
by King (1998) that researches the stark differences between male and female teachers. Both of
these authors refer to stereotypes that they found prevalent in their research when seeking why
men have a difficult time being proud of their role as a teacher.
They act in defiance of gender rules, resisting the mantle of disciplinaria, they see
teaching as a competition between colleagues, use a logical functional rationale, and describe a

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logical array of decisions about action, they take risks and do not bow to authority, they want to
deal in reality, not deal with the psychological, they say they take responsibility, are autonomous
and individualistic, they see talk about relationships as unproductive, in contrast to goal-directed
talk (Pulsford, 2014, p. 222).
Although these may seem to be large generalizations towards the male population, it is
evident that there is an agreeance across various sources that some of these issues are causes to
why there is controversy between the two genders and their roles as educators.
Whether an individual feels that men or women do a better job of teaching students,
especially in primary schools as this is where the statistics differ drastically, it is evident in all
research that there is a need for more male teachers. We have seen the argument that it is perhaps
because women tend to have more motherly character traits or maybe because men have a
difficult time caring for the needs of children because of stereotypical gender traits. But a key
reason that researchers as well as the Department of Education and Employment are encouraging
there be more men in the field, is because some feel that young boys do not have mentors or
males to look up to (Skelton, 2012). Because the elementary age of education is such a crucial
time for children to be learning all aspects of life, if boys are only learning from women as
teachers perhaps they will not feel understood or like they can relate to the teacher. Skelton
(2012) also explains that if not simply for young boys to have role models, or the fact that maybe
men and women have different teaching styles in how they handle their classroom or relating to
students, that boys and girls should get practice interacting with both genders as they grow up.
With all of this knowledge, Skelton (2012) and Pulsford (2014) both encourage
implementing campaigns to recruit male teachers. They each reference other authors as well who
suggest using any reason to get them to join the cause and need for men in the teaching field.

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Either breaking away from the stereotypes, reframing the role and importance of teachers,
welcoming men directly from the field they believe to be excluded from, or emphasizing the
need for male role models, any reason is suitable so long as it encourages men to join the field.
Purpose
Taking into consideration the struggles of transfer students and the unique position of male
students in the teaching force, this research sought to examine a community college education
program, the Center for Teacher Education (CFTE), to explore whether the needs of male
teaching transfer students are met. As there is still a need for more male teachers, and several
schools only hire teachers with a bachelor degree, this research is significant to know so that
community colleges can better determine how their teacher education programs can support male
transfer students as best as possible. By conducting qualitative interviews with male transfer
students, personal narrative gave insight to help comprehend these issues.
Materials
Participants
We interviewed participants who attended a large two-year community college in the
southern California area and were involved in a teacher preparatory program. Participation in this
program was voluntary and was focused on supporting students in their career goals of becoming
a teacher. All of the participants had experience volunteering with students and their interest in
grade level to teach ranged from pre-school to college. There were a total of nine student
participants, three who were female and six who were males. Of these participants, eight of the
students planned on transferring from the community college and one of the students was in his
first semester at a local four-year public university. All of the participants were of latino descent
and taking classes full-time. They aged from 19 years old to 31 years old.

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Materials
The researchers wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of a teacher preparation program for
male transfer students. The goal of the study was to learn valuable information in order to assess
what the teacher program is doing and how it could be improved to better assist future male
teachers. Additionally, the researchers wanted to gain an understanding of the male experience
within the teaching field and the reasons why there are few males in this type of profession. In
order to obtain the most valuable information, a focus group of six students and three individual
interviews were conducted. The three different interviews were conducted with dual moderators,
while the focus group was done with one. The participants were asked about their experience as a
male, as a transfer student, and their experience in being part of the teacher preparation program
at the community college.
The researchers used these main topics to guide the development of their interview
questions. Based on the research by Chin-Newman and Shaw (2013) and Marling (2013), it is
clear that transfer students experience anxiety and confusion in the process of transferring to the
university, and thus, the first questions asked were about the participants experience as a transfer
student. Whether this was due to confusion on transferrable classes or lack of confidence to study
at a four-year university, the researchers sought to have a better understanding of what helped or
hindered their experiences at the community college. In addition, questions were also asked
about being a male pursuing the teaching field. As Pulsford (2014) and Ashley and Lee (2003)
mention in their study, influences of social constructs and stereotypical beliefs in society may be
determining factors in mens decision to pursue teaching.
The literature discussed different point of views as to why there are fewer men in the
teaching field, as well as the positive and negative aspects of being a transfer student overall. The

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researchers based two out of the six main questions on the concept of how being a male and/or a
transfer student has affected their college experience. One question directly asked students,
Describe your experience as a transfer student as Santa Ana College. Another question asked
about their experience as a male in the teaching field.
The researchers also wanted to find out how the Center for Teacher Education played a
potential role in helping them in the process of transferring to a four-year college or being a
transfer student in general. The researchers wanted to clarify why they became part of the center
and how it has benefited them. The literature suggested that centers like the CFTE are very
helpful as they are are guided towards helping students succeed while at the community college
and transfer in an orderly manner. The researchers asked, Why did you decide to join the Center
for Teacher Education? In order to see if they had benefitted from the program, the researchers
asked students to Explain how did your involvement in CFTE impact you on your journey
towards becoming a teacher? Much of what was found from both the focus group and the
interviews was primarily focused on their experience within being part of the Center for Teacher
Education. At times, the researchers used member-checking to ensure that the questions were
understood by the participants and for them be able to obtain the information they wanted.
Objective student affairs researchers not involved in the study helped refine the questions by
reviewing and providing feedback about the questions, which was a guide in how to improve the
questions to gain clearer understanding from participants.
Procedure
One of the researchers worked for a large four-year institution in southern California that
accepts many students who transfer from the two-year community college at which the research
was performed. Because the participants being sought after needed to have very specific

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qualifications; going into the field of teaching, coming from CFTE, and being a male, the
director of the teaching program department was contacted. Due to policies and regulations of
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) the researchers were not able to get the list
of students contact information who fell into those three categories or directly contact them. The
director of the department emailed that group of male teaching students who were going to or
had already transferred from the two-year institution inquiring if any of them would be interested
in participating in a focus group. Because not many of those students responded, even after three
attempts of reaching out to them, a new plan was devised.
The researcher involved at the two-year community college was able to compile a list of
the current students in the program and email them about participating. An email went out to
approximately 700 students in the teaching database and only four responded showing interest.
The email explained what the research was for, offered beverages and refreshments for
participants, and included an informed consent form for them to read over. The email specifically
requested male students which is why the replies were limited. Because the majority of the
students in the teach program were female and there were not enough participants, decided to
include females in the research process. To get more participants, the researchers contacted the
president of an on campus teacher club. Six students, three male and three female agreed to stay
for the focus group. The researchers conducted three individual interviews at the two-year
institution as well as the focus group. The individual interviews were done in a quiet yet public
setting but the focus group was performed in a previously reserved conference room.
As an incentive for participating, the students were given time to socialize and eat pizza
before the focus group began. The moderator then explained the informed consent forms,
allowed time for questions, each of the participants signed before the interviewing began. To

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auto-record the sessions, iPhones and laptops were used for each one to ensure quality and
reliability. Although many of the participants in the focus group has seen each other before, they
were not well acquainted. Therefore, the session began with introductions and simple questions
that would allow for peers as well as the researchers to get some background information on each
participant.
Once all interviews and the focus group had been completed, the researchers transcribed
each session. The grounded theory method was used to analyze the data. The researchers read,
read again, and re-read the transcriptions to delineate common themes. Through coding, axial
coding, and theme emersion, each researcher did the steps of grounded theory method to ensure
trustworthiness. They came together to discuss the common themes found in the data collection.
Trustworthiness was also proven by referring back to the literature from which the interview
questions were derived and found themes that were congruent with the extensive research
previously done. Triangulation was achieved through the use of multiple researchers
participating in the qualitative research; interviews, focus groups, and transcriptions, which
resulted agreed upon codes, axial codes, and emerged themes.
Results
From the data we received after all of the interviews, we found multiple diverse themes.
Each theme was related to a specific group, and therefore, we separated each of the themes we
found in three groups. The themes from our research project were measured in three different
groups - Transfer Students, Teacher Preparatory Programs, and Male Teaching Students.
Transfer Students
Mentors
Mentorship and guidance, were both facets that Tovar (2015) illustrated throughout his

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study. Participating in academically rigorous programs, counseling intensive support programs,

and interacting with faculty and staff significantly affects Latino/a students success (Tovar,
2015). Further, some of the participants shared something similar in their interviews. For
example, Barney mentioned having his seventh grade teacher as a mentor:
I do not know what he saw, but he said he saw something in me. So every day, he would
always challenge me to do something more. So instead of just going along with the class
itself, he would always have extra questions, extra problems, anything that he could think
that I am able to do on my own so I can challenge myself.
Barney went on to say he treated me as a student, not many teachers tend to individualize
students, they all see them as a group. This students experience shows how a teacher guided
him towards the right path and now he sees him as a mentor, someone who believed in him and
contributed to his successes.
Support. Mentors contribute to a students success and what affects the students is all the
support they get from them. Students experience many challenges in life and having the support
is what helps student overcome such struggles. For example, in Edwards case he shared not
having support at home but then mentioned obtaining it at school:
the experiences with Steve Bautista they are just amazing and he also runs so we kinda
talk about school first and then our lives. So he is like my mentor, he gives great great
advice as far as when it comes to running and when it comes to life, and school, school
first.
It is beneficial for students who are transferring to a four year institution to find the support and
advice from someone who can relate to their experience. Having a mentor helps students
navigate not only the college life in an easier way but the their lives as well.

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Finances
Financial burdens, were a point of struggle mentioned by Chi-Newman and Shaw (2013).
Sometimes students need to take a break in their education to either work or have a family, which
makes it difficult to continue their education. Some of the participants shared their experiences
when it came to finances and their struggles for not having a source of transportation. For
example, Edward shared that one of his struggles has been not having money, buying, getting
the money to buy books, the ones that werent available at the CFTE...other than that just finding
the money to buy the other textbooks. While some students might be struggling to buy books
others struggle in a deeper level. Jerry for instance mentioned, I dont work or anything and my
mom cant support me. She gives me $10 for gas and says here make it work.
Transportation. Financial struggles at times coincide with not having a form of
transportation. Not having a car can hinder a students success. For instance, as a transfer student
Edward did not apply to different schools due to not having a vehicle. He shared,
I wanted to stay local thats one of the only reasons why, and I didnt have a car back
then, and I mean the only way for me to get to Cal State Fullerton is to get the bus down
Bristol and that was why I was like I am going to just apply to Cal State Fullerton cuz I
was focusing just taking the bus, I didnt have another transportation and thats the only
reason why I only applied to Cal State Fullerton, because of transportation.
Another participant who had a struggle with transportation was Ashley who shared, My
struggle was also that since I dont have a car, I dont really have a transportation. My first day at
SAC and the last whole two years, Ive been just walking and walking and walking, and I do
volunteer work. I go to do everything walking.

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Transfer students often attend local school for the reason that they just graduated from
high school and do not have a car. While for others, the reason is because they cannot afford one.
This stops students from exploring other colleges and universities and often limit themselves to
institutions around them.
Being Involved
Students are encouraged to be part of clubs and organizations throughout their
educational career. Getting involved helps them become aware of various opportunities in which
they can volunteer and work with people who can eventually guide them towards the right path.
Most of the participants were low-income, first generation students and as Poisel and Joseph
(2011) mentioned, these groups of students often have lower levels of student engagement than
native students, as well as greater need for developmental coursework early in their academic
career. In our study we had a few students who were involved in their high school career. For
example, Jeff shared about his teachers having been a source of motivation as well as being part
of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). He went on by saying, I had several
teachers throughout my middle school and high school years that helped me, they guided me
throughout those years...several teachers inspired me especially through some program called
AVID that I was in. AVID is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the
achievement gap by preparing all students for college and other postsecondary opportunities. The
great thing about this program is that many school districts have been able to implement the
program in their middle schools and well as in their high schools, giving students the opportunity
to grow academically.
Another example, is Edwards experience with the ADELANTE Program at his high
school. He mentioned obtaining extra support at his high school by being part of this program.

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The ADELANTE Program elevate academic achievement and college attendance is a successoriented program focusing on academic achievement and college attendance. In addition, Jerry
also took part in the ADELANTE Program but in college. He shared, I went to the ADELANTE
Program and they offered all these things. The program offered a guaranteed financial support
for their pre-transfer studies at Santa Ana College (SAC), the opportunity to enroll in academic
learning communities at SAC, academic advice from transfer mentors, an initial orientation and
annual workshops, library cards and privileges at CSUF and UCI while enrolled at SAC, and
access to the universitys Early Assessment Program (EAP).
Furthermore, all the participants were part of the Center for Teacher Education at the two
year college and most of them had very good things to say about the program.
Teacher Preparatory Program
Creating a Pathway
Throughout all of the interviews, all of the students mentioned that involvement in CFTE
helped prepare them in some way towards their pathway to becoming a teacher. After asking one
of the student participants why he decided to join CFTE, he said, Its because I wanted to be a
teacher and I wanted some help towards my college path, to see if that was really my career or if
I really wanted to major in Spanish in teaching. For this student, and others like him, being
involved in CFTE helped him determine that teaching was the career path he wanted to pursue.
Edward was able to come to this decision after CFTE gave him the opportunity to gain
experience working with high school students. In fact, after this experience, he soon realized that
he would much rather work with students at the college level.
Another student, Barney, recalls his reason for CFTE making an impact on his pathway:

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[CFTE] ...helped me a lot in getting affiliated with people I needed to know. All those
grade levels I taught were because of CFTE. Uh volunteer services, I was connected with
uh the principals, community liaisons where I can go, where I can help. I knew a lot of
teachers. I got to meet the [California] teacher of the year in 2014. I was actually working
under her...And they introduced me to a lot of things - STEM Program...the math tutor in
the math center, she was very helpful. But I wouldnt know her if it wasnt for CFTE.
In Barneys example, he was very thankful for the various connections and resources available to
him at the community college. Combined with the difficulties of navigating the transfer process
at the community college, along with the challenges of comprehending all of the multiple
components involved in becoming a teacher in California, a preparation program like CFTE
seems to have created a bridge for students to reach their teaching goals. From priority
counseling appointments that lay out an education plan for students, to workshops on passing the
CBEST and best practices for teachers, students seemed to be in agreement that CFTEs services
were instrumental in helping them determine teaching was the right career and what they had to
do to get there.
Supportive and Available Staff
Another common theme from the student stories was their overall satisfaction with the
CFTE staff. It was consistently mentioned that most students were influenced by at least one
staff member who motivated them to join CFTE and continue being involved. For Edward, when
asked about why he joined CFTE, he became emotional as he described his experience with one
one of the CFTE counselors. As a first generation student, and being the youngest in a family of
seven brothers and sisters, Edward did not initially feel confident to stay in college and succeed.
It was the CFTE counselor that made the difference for him:

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He is just a great counselor. He has always been there for me helping me choosing my
classes and he um is very patient and thats why I am in the program because of him and
because...they let you borrow the booksand that kinda motivate me to keep being in the
program, come to school.
Supportive. The priority counseling, specifically geared towards teacher education
students, is one significant way that students felt supported through CFTE. Students could
definitely appreciate this service since counseling appointments tend to book very quickly,
especially during the beginning of the semester and when applications to universities are due. In
addition, for other students that are not in CFTE, they usually have to meet with the next
counselor available since their appointments are limited. In contrast, CFTE students have the
added benefit of meeting with the same counselor with more consistency. For students like
Edward, having the opportunity to meet with the same CFTE counselor every semester helped
him feel confident in not only his classes, but also gave him the motivation to pursue his goals in
teaching. Ultimately, he also built rapport with his counselor and saw him more as a mentor than
an academic faculty member.
Available Staff. Another common component of this theme is the availability of CFTE
staff. Students felt that communication was consistent and whenever they needed help with
something, they knew they could go to CFTE staff. In Barneys interview, he said that he had
been in CFTE for a majority of his time at the community college, which was about five or six
years. He also mentioned he had gone to several other community colleges but the environment
at this one was friendlier and staff were more willing to help their students. CFTE played a large
role in this and when asked about what CFTE could do to improve, he laughed as he answered:

EVALUATING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER PROGRAM

21

You guys have email, you guys have Facebook, you have a lot of ways of talking to
students, getting a hold of students, students getting a hold of you. Um, if anything I
would say stay open till 10 (laughs)... Pretty much, if you dont have anything from
CFTE its cuz you havent asked for it.
Even with supportive staff, our data has shown that the availability of that staff is also
crucial for students. Whether students need to meet with a counselor, get more information about
our services or programs, or simply want to stay updated about all CFTE-related news through
social media, the multiple ways CFTE communicates with students proved to be very valuable to
help students feel supported at the community college.
Male Teaching Students
Gender Roles
Through the qualitative research of interviews and focus groups, a primary focus of the
study was on difficulties of being a male in the field of teaching. Two themes emerged as
students shared their stories: gender roles and the impact those have on students who are
choosing a career path, and the fear of being accused of inappropriate relationships with students.
Just as Puslford (2014) mentioned, it is important to understand the history of the field,
constructed stereotypes, and identities of those who chose teaching as a career path. The study
found that a primary reason as to why men typically do not chose teaching as a vocation was due
to the gender roles and stereotypes attached with the job. When asked to describe his experience
as a male in the field of teaching, Jeffs answer was similar to many others, I feel like it is out of
the norm because when people think teacher, they usually think female. Jeff along with many
other interviewees agreed that this concept was a thing of the past where people followed the
traditional gender roles and stayed within the typical male or female jobs.

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Another male student had noticed an interesting concept that literature also touched on.
Skelton (2012) had much to say about womens use of motherly instincts in the classroom as a
reason why they feel comfortable as teachers. Barney echoed this same idea:
I know that in the beginning, it [the field of teaching] was male-dominated. A lot of the
teachers that are males have kids of their own so they have that paternal side to them. For
a single, male teacher, that I have yet to meet, they dont have that side to them. I started
realizing that it shifted more from teaching to a nurturing type thing.
This type of answer was typical among students who were interviewed; however, it was
different amongst males and females. It is not that females possess certain qualities that males do
not, such as patience and kindness. Rather, it is the stereotypes about the characteristics that
males are supposed to have, such as; gruff and tough, the breadwinners of the household, and
that showing kindness is just a sign of weakness. Edward unknowingly stated this common
stereotype in his interview: Most females want to teach at an elementary level and males tend to
just major in some other field such as Engineering, Auto, or Sports. Similarly, Joe chimed in:
I think it has to do with just the way that our society or maybe our politics is structured
that its like men go to work in a ragged, rugged, type of field like construction, go be a
cop, go work with your hands where you may get dirty.
Although the females agreed that this is the common stereotype in American societies, they had a
bit of a different take on the matter. Once Sally stated her view, other females in the focus group
agreed. Sally said:
I actually like more males to be teaching rather than women. Theyre more patient, they
take their time, they try to like understand you. Females are more like Do this and do it
now! where I feel like males are a little more easy going.

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Males seemingly questioned their male teachers they had throughout their education, wondering
why they did not chose a more manly field whereas females appreciated their male teachers
more perhaps simply because the dynamic of male teacher to female student either felt unique
due to lack of men in the field or the mixed gender relationship was more comfortable.
Social structures and stereotypes are synonymous when it comes to why men shy away
from the field of teaching. Ashley and Lee (2003) wrote a book as to how these traits are passed
down from generation to generation and societies held views of these topics. Joe again had
insightful thoughts:
It has a lot to do with how weve been molded into thinking what a nuclear family is and
stuff like that. I think that is why males dont look at this field like something they
want

to do. They might think, No, that might make me less of a man or that Im not

going to
why there are not

show that I am tough if I am a teacher. I think that has an influence on

a lot of males going into teaching.

Relational Hesitation
An unfortunate finding through interviews was an overriding feeling of hesitation in
males entering into this field. Nervous of the implications that come with older men teaching
younger children, both boys and girls, males must be cautious of how they treat their students.
Although no scholarly research was found to prove this notion that people are more wary of
inappropriate relationships coming from male teachers, the relational hesitations of this
population were displayed by stories in the media and answers from the interviewees. The stigma
that males are more capable of committing lewd acts with students, seems to be missing with
their female counterparts. Barney shared a story of his experience in the classroom:

EVALUATING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER PROGRAM

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I dont have that high-pitched voice that says Im friendly, so I have to talk to parents
very carefully. Cause some of them might take what Im saying the wrong way. But
speaking with students I try to be friendly with them, but not too friendly. There have
been - it does sound ridiculous - but there have been cases...I havent met a single male
teacher that hasnt been through it. For me, it was a case in middle school where, where...
I was accused of, um, a relationship with a student. That is why it is very difficult for
males because I have never met a male teacher that hasnt gone through that.
Again and again, male teachers are accused of inappropriate relations with young students and
although some may be true, this is a real caution for males heading into the field. Another
student, Anthony, was nervous of what an accusation such as that would do to his future. He said,
I dont want to get my life or career ruined by one little girl who says something
inappropriate. I think they [females] can get away with it easier. When they say
something, most of the time people will believe them.
When inquiring more about this hesitation, other students admitted that it may be
stereotypes, but also that because of the lack of males in the field, girl students do not have
experience dealing with men in general. Barney clarified, Some girls dont know how to act
towards a male teacher cause to be honest, there really are not any. They do not know what to
expect or how to act. Because of this, males must be aware of this as they choose this field. This
also impacts which grade or subject they will teach. Barney speaks from experience when he
shared,
As a male teacher, you need to watch out because sometimes you cant really be seen as a
friend. You cant be seen as a friend with a guy because theyll talk about subjects

EVALUATING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER PROGRAM

25

theyre not supposed to, and you cant be seen with a girl because then theyll
take it to a

different level.

He and many others are attempting to find the balance between being friendly and not
overstepping boundaries. There is a pressure to relate to students and show that they care while
also remaining unattached so as to not doing anything that could be considered inappropriate.
The line between professionalism and interpersonal connection is challenging for any teacher in
any grade level, let alone males worrying about their female students. When considering this
relational hesitation combined with stereotypes and gender roles it is not difficult to understand
why males steer away from careers in education.
Discussion
The themes formulated through the research both supported and challenged the literature.
While some of the student responses were similar to what previous researchers had found, the
student stories provided new knowledge that we had not originally anticipated. Beginning with
transfer students, student participants faced similar challenges that the literature described.
Almost all of the students interviewed were ethnic minorities, first generation, students that came
from low-income families, as Marling (2013) describes as nontraditional students. This was
important to note because these personal experiences influenced the themes of mentorship and
being involved. For the particular population we interviewed, these two themes made a huge
impact on their success at the community college because they did not have the same college role
models that other traditional students may have had. Additionally, some of the students even
decided to join CFTE because of the benefit of having the Book Loan Program, where they could
borrow books for free. Although they gained a wealth more of services than they had expected,
several students said they were drawn to this aspect of CFTE to help with their finances. Along

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with financial support, student participants continued to say they had experienced a lack of
guidance growing up, and by getting involved and having someone at the college help them
achieve their goals, these students found much more success.
Referencing back to Chin-Newman and Shaw (2013), our transfer students also
experienced the challenges of being anxious about taking the right classes to transfer to the
university. Barney recalls how he felt before joining CFTE:
I wasnt informed. Or ill-informed. I didnt really know much about transferring, the
paperwork, what I needed to do, workshops I needed to go to, people I needed to see,
conventions, events, and you guys filled all those voids in.
In our research, the extra support through mentorship and specialized services, were
crucial for these nontraditional students. It helped them feel more prepared to transfer and has
given them a much larger chance at being accepted to four-year universities and obtaining their
bachelors degrees. Researchers were reminded of how difficult the transfer process can be and
that programs like CFTE can help alleviate student fears.
CFTE was regarded by the interviewed students as a positive part to their college
experience. With students mentioning all of the diverse services offered, themes of creating a
pathway and supportive staff clearly demonstrated the goal of developing future teachers
(NACCTEP, 2009). As mentioned earlier, the processes of transferring and obtaining certificates
and/or degrees in education can be very challenging, and therefore, programs like CFTE have
been created to assist students navigate through these requirements. It was evident that CFTE is
making an impact for its students. Although the nine students interviewed may not have
represented the hundreds of students that have participated in CFTE, the evaluation of this

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27

program was positive and their answers emphasized that programs like this one are working and
are necessary for community college students.
Moving from questions of being transfer students and the impact CFTE had on their
lives, some of the most interesting data found was on their thoughts of males in the teaching
field. While some of the literature was supported in this area, our findings also indicated results
that were not found in our literature. In the first theme from the topic of male teachers,
researchers found gender roles to be a consistent idea throughout our interviews. Like Pulsford
(2014) said, there is a history of stereotypes associated with gender, and these are not easily
forgotten. Interviewed students were aware of these gender norms, and some believed that this
may be a reason why males decided not to choose the teaching profession. It seems, however,
that the students were also aware that they wanted to break the stereotype. As shared earlier, even
the female students were content with having more males in the field and Joe even mentions, It
would be nice for there to be more male people going into that [teaching] profession.
The theme that was not found through the literature was relational hesitation. As there are
stereotypes of having few males in the teaching field, there are also stereotypes of the intentions
of male teachers in the classroom. Barney was the first to describe his experiences with
accusations of misconduct towards a minor, and it affected his entire view of his demeanor as a
teacher. Although it took some patience and additional questions to comprehend what he meant
by being cautious in the classroom, it became obvious that this is a real concern for male
teachers. From a small hug, to having the blinds closed with a female student, male teachers are
constantly being watched and these are very possible situations for accusation. It is apparent that
these situations cannot be taken lightly and males have to be extra careful in the way they
conduct themselves. Hearing these findings gives light to a realistic barrier that may not be

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discussed often, especially in literature. There are the gender-related stereotypes of what men are
supposed to do that may have discouraged men to go into teaching, however, the findings
assert that this may be a much more critical reason there are fewer male teachers.
Limitations and Future Research
There were important limitations about the research on male transfer students and within
the current study. The researchers initially wanted to evaluate the Center for Teacher Education
as well as study how male transfer students at the four-year university had benefitted from being
part of that program at the community college. Basically, they wanted to see how male students
felt about being part of a teacher preparatory program at a community college and how that
helped them transfer and acclimate to a university level. In addition, research illustrated the
different challenges and benefits that transfer students experience especially male students in the
teaching field. Throughout this current study, researchers found other caveats that were not
mentioned previously.
Overall, like mentioned above the original goal was to interview all male students at
California State University of Fullerton who had transferred from Santa Ana College and had
been part of the CFTE program. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and the limited number of
the population researchers were looking for, it was not possible. As a result, there was a change
in the focus of the study and that was to interview current students at Santa Ana College. Aside
from that, since there is a limited number of males interested in the teaching field, some of the
participants ended up being females. Therefore, this caveat limited the researchers from
obtaining the most desirable data.
Furthermore, much variation exists among research done on transfer students and male
students. Hence, the research was done from students at a community college level rather than

EVALUATING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER PROGRAM

29

from a university level, many of the students did not have much experience in the teaching field.
Many were just beginning their first few years in college and thus had not had any field
experience for various reasons. On the other hand, like Chi-Newman and Shaw (2013) and Tovar
(2015) mentioned, students experience other challenges in life which prevents them from being
100% attentive to school work and activities. For example, some of the participants had
encountered obstacles and other responsibilities in life that prevented them from being able to
volunteer and gain experience in the teaching field. All this said, the findings that were initially
being looked for were not obtained but they still played a big role in the research for evaluating
the program and transfer students in general.
Implications/Conclusion
While there were limitations from the study, the researchers gained more knowledge on
three separate topics: transfer students, teacher preparatory programs, and males in teaching. In
the beginning of formulating the research questions, the main concern was about evaluating the
CFTE program as a whole; As the researchers delved deeper into what they were curious to
know, however, the study yielded valuable information on similar, yet different topics. While
these topics were mostly supported with literature, they also found that relational hesitation is not
a common area of discussion. Due to this factor, the researchers became most intrigued in these
findings and know that much more research is needed to help increase the male population in the
teaching field. Overall, however, the results from this research has supported our initial
assumptions and answered our research questions. According to the student responses, CFTE did
effectively prepare its male transfer students to navigate the transfer process and the pathway of
becoming a teacher. The researchers were pleased to see that programs like CFTE are effective
and definitely helping community college students reach their goals and full potential.

EVALUATING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER PROGRAM

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