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Chapter 12 - Divided by Discipline?

Contrasting Motivations, Perceptions and Background Characteristics of Beginning Australian English and Mathematics Teachers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 September 2017

By
Helen M. G. Watt ,
Paul W. Richardson  and
Zoe A. Morris
Edited by
Helen M. G. Watt ,
Paul W. Richardson  and
Kari Smith
Helen M. G. Watt
Affiliation:
University of Sydney
Paul W. Richardson
Affiliation:
Monash University, Victoria
Kari Smith
Affiliation:
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim
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Summary

Abstract

The motivational profiles, perceptions about teaching, and background demographic characteristics of beginning English and Mathematics teachers were compared within an Australian sample, from the start of their teacher education studies (NT1 = 325; 213 English) until early career teaching (NT2 = 132; 89 English). Beginning Mathematics teachers tended to be older, to study through graduate-entry mode, were less likely to have chosen teaching as their first career, and more likely to have parents who worked in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. Relative to beginning English teachers, there was a higher proportion from non-English speaking and less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Preservice English teachers tended to have parents who worked in education, were more highly motivated to enhance social equity, less motivated to teach as a “fallback” career, and regarded teaching as more demanding. From initial teacher education until early career teaching, the only significant change was that perceptions of teaching demand increased for beginning English and Mathematics teachers; overall, there were more similarities than differences between the motivations and perceptions of beginning English and Mathematics teachers.

Type
Chapter
Information
Global Perspectives on Teacher Motivation , pp. 322 - 348
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2017

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