Men in special education: a self-experiential professional development seminar supporting professional identity

Abstract

This study aimed to describe and evaluate a newly developed self-experiential seminar designed for students of special education at higher education institutions. The seminar was developed in response to the longstanding underrepresentation of men in special education programmes at Charles University and Jan Evangelista Purkyně University. It combined field-based learning, mentoring and guided reflection on professional identity, with particular emphasis on gender-sensitive approaches and enhancing the appeal of the field for male students. A mixed-methods design was employed, comprising a questionnaire (N = 115) and focus groups with male participants (N = 11). The results indicated that perceived teaching professionalism, pedagogical responsiveness and course attractiveness were positively associated with students' confidence in their career choices. Male students reported heightened visibility and pressure linked to their minority status, while valuing support from lecturers and peers. The findings suggest that the methods employed in the seminar strengthen professional identity, motivation and self-efficacy while providing a transferable model that integrates theory with practice and supports diversity in educational professions.