How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators
Attrition of up to thirty per cent in the initial years of a teaching career has led to a high level of disillusionment in teaching as a desirable and rewarding profession. Although many nations have responded with substantial investments in pre-service teacher education, these efforts have faile...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Australian Institutes for Educational Research
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.iier.org.au/iier.html http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/78089 |
| Summary: | Attrition of up to thirty per cent in the initial years of a teaching career has led to a high
level of disillusionment in teaching as a desirable and rewarding profession. Although
many nations have responded with substantial investments in pre-service teacher
education, these efforts have failed to dissuade newly qualified teachers from leaving the
profession. An important factor in professional membership is a sense of identity to
both a particular group of people and a set of established practices. This article examines
the initial identity of pre-service science teachers who belong to the science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) cohort of teachers in the primary and secondary
initial education programs at an Australian university. We consider the alignment of
participants’ initial professional identity, including career commitment, with their
concerns about entering the teaching profession. Recommendations are made for actions
that might reduce the early career exodus. |
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