Why I chose to become a teacher and why I might choose not to become one. A survey of student teachers’ perceptions of teaching as a career

Abstract

A detailed questionnaire about why they chose teaching as a career and the challenges that they face on their ITT course was completed by 189 third year student teachers on a third year BA in Primary Education with QTS programme at a university in Wales. The findings showed that several factors contributed to their choosing a career as primary school teachers, including reasons related to perceived teaching ability, altruistic reasons, intrinsic reasons, and extrinsic reasons. The data also revealed that the main stressors faced by the respondents were linked to four factors, namely: high levels of accountability; the pressure of monitoring; the continual demand for change; and the perceived lack of respect given to the profession. Differences were found between the male and the female respondents in the ways they perceived their role within the profession. The findings have important implications for all those who are concerned with the attracting and retaining the most competent teachers to/in our primary schools.