Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachers
South African initial teacher education institutes are currently experiencing an annual increase in admissions of first-year students. In addition, the increasing attrition rate of newly qualified teachers is of concern globally. This begs the question of why students are opting for teaching as a p...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2020-06-01
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Series: | Perspectives in Education |
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Online Access: | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/4305 |
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author | Moeniera Moosa |
author_facet | Moeniera Moosa |
author_sort | Moeniera Moosa |
collection | DOAJ |
description |
South African initial teacher education institutes are currently experiencing an annual increase in admissions of first-year students. In addition, the increasing attrition rate of newly qualified teachers is of concern globally. This begs the question of why students are opting for teaching as a profession. This study focuses on reasons why first-year students have opted to study teaching at a South African University. The theoretical lens used is linked to the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). Five hundred and eighty first year students participated in a mixed methods research study. Data was analysed by using theories of career motivation categories namely altruistic, extrinsic and intrinsic reasons. The findings indicate that more than half (60%) of the participants were motivated to do teaching for altruistic reasons, followed by almost a quarter (23%) choosing teaching for extrinsic reasons and lastly 17% opting to become teachers for intrinsic reason. This paper argues that it would be prudent for initial teacher education institutes to understand students’ rationale for selected teaching to support them to complete their qualification and remain in the profession.
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first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:46:34Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-2b40c62e10c14341826543a80eae9f08 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 0258-2236 2519-593X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:46:34Z |
publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
publisher | University of the Free State |
record_format | Article |
series | Perspectives in Education |
spelling | doaj.art-2b40c62e10c14341826543a80eae9f082024-03-18T11:10:15ZengUniversity of the Free StatePerspectives in Education0258-22362519-593X2020-06-0138110.18820/2519593X/pie.v38i1.10Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachersMoeniera Moosa0University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa South African initial teacher education institutes are currently experiencing an annual increase in admissions of first-year students. In addition, the increasing attrition rate of newly qualified teachers is of concern globally. This begs the question of why students are opting for teaching as a profession. This study focuses on reasons why first-year students have opted to study teaching at a South African University. The theoretical lens used is linked to the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). Five hundred and eighty first year students participated in a mixed methods research study. Data was analysed by using theories of career motivation categories namely altruistic, extrinsic and intrinsic reasons. The findings indicate that more than half (60%) of the participants were motivated to do teaching for altruistic reasons, followed by almost a quarter (23%) choosing teaching for extrinsic reasons and lastly 17% opting to become teachers for intrinsic reason. This paper argues that it would be prudent for initial teacher education institutes to understand students’ rationale for selected teaching to support them to complete their qualification and remain in the profession. http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/4305Pre-service tearchersTeachingInitial teacher educationCareer motivationExpectations |
spellingShingle | Moeniera Moosa Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachers Perspectives in Education Pre-service tearchers Teaching Initial teacher education Career motivation Expectations |
title | Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachers |
title_full | Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachers |
title_fullStr | Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachers |
title_full_unstemmed | Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachers |
title_short | Why teaching? Perspectives from first-year South African pre-service teachers |
title_sort | why teaching perspectives from first year south african pre service teachers |
topic | Pre-service tearchers Teaching Initial teacher education Career motivation Expectations |
url | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/4305 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT moenieramoosa whyteachingperspectivesfromfirstyearsouthafricanpreserviceteachers |