Do Different Structural Conditions Between Countries Lead to Different Career Choice Motives of Future Teachers?

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 27
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers: Professional Roles and Career Choices

Abstract

The question "Why do people want to become teachers?" becomes more specific in the light of this year’s theme: Which roles play motives like doing something important for society? Might different structural conditions, e.g. in different countries, result in different characteristics regarding those motivations?

This contribution presents results of a quantitative analysis of German, Romanian, Swedish and Californian teacher students’ career choice motives. A comparison of intrinsic, extrinsic, and pragmatic motives shows significant differences across the countries that might be linked to differences of socio-economic, political or cultural conditions: The motives vary according to different salaries, levels of job security, but also according to the structure of teacher training programs and the appraisal of altruistic motives.

Authors

• Jonas Scharfenberg, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

• Ewald Kiel, Ludwig Maximilians University München

• Sabine Weiß, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

• Meeri A Hellsten, Stockholm University

• Simona Lidia Sava, Universitatea de Vest din Timişoara

• Ioana Velica, Babes-Bolyai University