Money Matters: The Importance of Salary in Undergraduate Prospective Teachers' Career Decisions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Tracking an Educator's Career: Coaching, Evaluation, and Wages

Abstract

Despite policymakers’ efforts to recruit teachers, critical shortages persist. This mixed methods study contributes to the teacher recruitment literature by analyzing undergraduate prospective teachers’ views of a career in teaching. We focus on the views of students of color and STEM majors, whose characteristics align with critical shortage areas. Drawing on survey and focus group data from undergraduate students at the University of Maryland, we find that teachers’ salaries, and the low level of respect for teachers they convey, are a decisive and dissuading factor in their career decisions. These findings suggest that researchers and policymakers must work to determine and enact the salary structures required to recruit a high-quality, diverse teacher workforce.

Authors

• Kayla Bill, University of Maryland - College Park

• Betty Malen, University of Maryland

• Amanda Bowsher, University of Maryland - College Park

• Jennifer K. Rice, University of Maryland

• Tara Marie Brown, University of Maryland - College Park

• Doug McNamara, University of Maryland - College Park

• Jason Saltmarsh, University of Maryland - College Park