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...

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Main Authors: Sheffield, Rachel, Blackley, Susan, Bennett, Dawn
Format: Journal Article
Published: Australian Institutes for Educational Research 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.iier.org.au/iier.html
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/78089
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author Sheffield, Rachel
Blackley, Susan
Bennett, Dawn
author_facet Sheffield, Rachel
Blackley, Susan
Bennett, Dawn
author_sort Sheffield, Rachel
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description 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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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-780892020-05-25T02:59:39Z How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators Sheffield, Rachel Blackley, Susan Bennett, Dawn 1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy 1303 - Specialist Studies in Education 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. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/78089 http://www.iier.org.au/iier.html Australian Institutes for Educational Research unknown
spellingShingle 1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy
1303 - Specialist Studies in Education
Sheffield, Rachel
Blackley, Susan
Bennett, Dawn
How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators
title How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators
title_full How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators
title_fullStr How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators
title_full_unstemmed How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators
title_short How future science educators view themselves and their profession: A study of pre-service science STEM educators
title_sort how future science educators view themselves and their profession: a study of pre-service science stem educators
topic 1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy
1303 - Specialist Studies in Education
url http://www.iier.org.au/iier.html
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/78089