Addressing the question of teacher attrition, this study sought the opinions of 200 female educators using a questionnaire that focused on selected educational issues: (1) choosing education as a career in retrospect; (2) the perception of teachers as an "endangered species"; (3) advantages for females and males in teaching; (4) salaries; (5)…

This study investigated the relative importance a group of teacher-trainees placed on various kinds of motives for choosing teaching as a career. Participants in the study were 99 female A-Level Certificate holders pursuing the Certification in Education Programme. They were being prepared for teaching in primary schools. Background information on…

Student teachers from Pennsylvania State University described experiences which supported or reduced their motivation to pursue teaching as a career. Data were collected from students who had successfully completed an 11 week full-time student teaching experience. The sample included 77 elementary, 92 secondary, and 28 special education student…

Many problems arise from inaccurate expectations for preservice teacher education and its relationship to what goes on in elementary and secondary schools. Preservice education is expected to provide schools with a continuous supply of highly qualified candidates. However, preservice teacher education exerts little proactive control over teacher…

Reasons for the decrease in the number of minority group teachers are the following: (1) low status and salaries; (2) alternative career possibilities; (3) desegregation; (4) teacher competency tests; (5) limited career advancement opportunities; and (6) reduction in government supported programs. Recruitment programs, financial incentives, and…

Investigates problems besetting United States teacher education institutions. Cites curricula, the relatively low status of teachers in American society, and low salary expectations as reasons behind the present need for better teachers and improved teacher education. Discusses current reform efforts to attract talented persons to the profession.…

Why trainee teachers join the teaching profession in Jamaica was studied. Previous research has suggested that their reasons may be extrinsic (related to characteristics of the job), intrinsic (related to the individual's wishes), or altruistic (related to the social contribution). Some reasons that could be classified into these 3 categories were…

This article describes a 2-week summer program, Urban Summer Education Program, for 40 Black high school students who expressed an interest in teaching. The program is 1 of several that are outlined, whose aim is to encourage minority students to enter the teaching profession. (IAH)

Data is reviewed from the last three years of a national longitudinal survey, Research about Teacher Education (RATE). Analysis of the responses and perceptions of preservice students (N=729-1141) suggests that preservice teachers are characterized by homogeneity, limited cultural horizons, and modest diversity of cultural experience. (IAH)

Teacher trainees' responses to open-ended questions about career choice were used to determine their motives for selecting a career in teaching in Brunei Darussalam. The results indicated that extrinsic motives were the main determinants for trainees to choose teaching, and altruistic and intrinsic reasons were less prominent. (SM)

Interviews with 12 multiethnic rural high school students identified students' reasons for wanting to become teachers and the metaphors they used to make meaning out of teaching. Five attractors to teaching were interpersonal relationships, service, continuation, material benefits, and time compatibility. Common metaphors were friend,…

First-year teachers in Jamaica and Caribbean countries were surveyed to determine their reasons for selecting teaching and their perceptions of the impact of teacher education programs. Results indicate their reasons are mainly altruistic in nature and are similar to those given by North American teachers. (SM)

Interviews with 26 late-entry teachers ascertained key points in their life histories that affected their career choices. Four main patterns emerged, with the common thread across the classifications being the tendency to view teaching principally as a means of enhancing self-efficacy or other aspects of personal satisfaction. (SM)

Surveys of Nigerian teacher trainees examined self-concept and attitudes toward teaching. Results established a significant relationship between self-concept and attitudes toward teaching. Most respondents scored high on the self-concept scale but did not show a positive attitude toward teaching due to poor financial benefits and low professional…

Identifies strategies for attracting orchestra students to the string teaching profession by analyzing 153 returned surveys from 17 universities. Finds respondents suggest that school orchestra directors should become role models by demonstrating their love of music, making learning enjoyable, providing students with teaching opportunities,…