ERIC Number: EJ1410270
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1944-0413
EISSN: N/A
"I Changed My Mind": Exploring Why College Students Change Majors to Become Teachers
Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning, v16 n1 p3-16 2023
While teacher education programs have long studied what draws students to choose a career in teaching, a less studied aspect of teacher candidates relates to students who change majors to become teachers. As a phenomenon that is common in teacher preparation, I am interested in better understanding why this happens. This article centers around six participants who began college choosing a science major, changing their course of study after at least one full year. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, a discussion of what led the participants to change majors, what they were looking for when deciding to become teachers, and their motivations to join the ranks of the next generation of teachers is had. The article ends with implications for practitioners, and avenues for further research.
Descriptors: College Students, Majors (Students), Education Majors, Change, Teacher Education, College Science, Preservice Teachers, Career Choice
New York Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. SUNY Cortland, Cornish Hall Room 1239, Cortland, NY 13045. Web site: https://surface.syr.edu/excelsior/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A