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Article
Recruiting the Next Generationof Teachers: Conversations with High School Sophomores
American Educator (1989)
  • Barnett Berry
  • Christine McCormick, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Tom Buxton
Abstract

A report is given of a survey of 170 sophomores enrolled in advanced English classes and 205 sophomores enrolled in regular English classes. The students were questioned about their career expectations, their perceptions of teaching as a career, and current incentives for entry into the teaching profession. Findings indicated that only a small percentage of the students were interested in becoming teachers. Most students reported being discouraged from teaching by their own teachers and by parents who are teachers. Even for those students who possess altruistic career orientations, teaching was an unattractive career choice given the occupation's poor working conditions. Most of the students were generally oblivious to recent reforms in the teaching profession and underestimated teacher salaries. The first section of the report reviews relevant literature related to teaching as a career choice. Section two describes methods, including the overall approach, sampling and site selection, and data analysis. In section three, cross-site findings are delineated, including career expectations of the focus group, their views of teaching, and their views of particular incentives for entry into teaching. The final section contains conclusions and policy recommendations for state policymakers.

Keywords
  • Career Choice,
  • Employment Opportunities,
  • Grade 10,
  • High Schools,
  • High School Students,
  • Student Attitudes,
  • Teacher Salaries,
  • Teaching (Occupation),
  • Teaching Conditions
Disciplines
Publication Date
January, 1989
Citation Information
Barnett Berry, Christine McCormick and Tom Buxton. "Recruiting the Next Generationof Teachers: Conversations with High School Sophomores" American Educator (1989)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christine_mccormick/2/