The Pre-school Learning Alliance has joined up with the University of Derby to launch research looking at why men are not attracted to working in childcare.
In the last seven years, just one male student has graduated from the university's early childhood studies degree course - compared to 377 women.
Tim Kahn, inclusion officer at the Pre-School Learning Alliance, said more men working in childcare might help encourage more fathers to become involved in nurseries and children's centres.
Andrew Sanders, who teaches the childcare course at Derby and was formerly deputy head of a nursery, said: "As a society we need to get over this mental hurdle that the nursery is no place for a man, tackle the peer pressure, and challenge the worries over the economic security of the job.
"It is also fair to say there is a stigma for some men who feel wanting to work with children might be seen as unusual."
The research is in its early stages and has focused so far on talking to fathers and early years workers about their experiences in childcare settings.