Unearthing a Surprising Trend in Interest in Teaching Among College Students

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 12:40 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Career Coaching, Readiness, and Efficacy: Becoming a Teacher and Institutional Support (Table 6)

Abstract

The decision to pursue teaching is often driven by altruism and societal values. Contrary to beliefs that the pandemic might have led to a decline in interest in teaching as a career choice, results from a four-year cross-sectional study at Liberal Arts institution found no such trend among first- and second-year students. Potential inhibitors of interest in teaching manifest in a similar fashion before and during the pandemic. While altruistic orientations and interest in teaching pedagogy continue to be highly predictive of interest in teaching, the pandemic might have altered how students view college faculty’s role in relation to their own career choices. The findings suggest that interest in remains malleable and sensitive to social persuasion.

Author

• Temi Bidjerano, Furman University