Tackling Australia’s Male Teacher Shortage: Insights from Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Completion Data

: The under-representation of males in the Australian teaching profession has been an issue of concern for some time. With predictions that the situation will worsen due to an aging male teacher population and the enduring perception that teaching is females’ work, this paper explores trends in male initial teacher education (ITE) degree completion in a sample of Australian ITE programs from 2001 to 2021 to gain insights into which types of teaching degrees and delivery modes of study are most likely to attract potential pre-service male teachers. Open access and non-identifiable male ITE completion data were obtained from the Australian Government. The results, which are presented and discussed in this paper, show an upward trend in male ITE completion in the external and multi-modal study modes and a downward trend in the internal study mode for both undergraduate and postgraduate ITE degrees. This paper adds to the literature on gender representation in teaching, pathways and accessibility in teacher education, and teacher supply, providing insights that may inform policy and practice initiatives that could help to address the male teacher shortage in Australian schools.