Evaluating comments from pre-service STEM teachers before and after their first teaching experience, this study examines changes in pre-service STEM teachers' viewpoints regarding the most challenging aspect of teaching and the most important traits of a teacher. Pre-service STEM teachers were asked the same survey questions on the first and last…

The present paper asks three questions about pre-service teachers. First, what are the prevalent beliefs about teaching among pre-service teachers? Second, what are the personality characteristics of pre-service teachers? Third, in what ways do personality traits and other demographic attributes predict beliefs about teaching? Participants were…