Preservice Teachers' Interests and Perceptions of the Teaching Profession: A Review of Factors Influencing Career Choices
Main Article Content
Abstract
Research Problem: Across both high-income and emerging economies, teacher shortages stem less from an absolute scarcity of trained graduates than from failures of recruitment, distribution and retention, and Indonesia's large, decentralised system faces the same structural difficulty. Although the motivations behind career choice are well theorised, evidence from Indonesian pre-service teachers remains scarce.
Research Purposes: This study describes pre-service teachers' interests in the teaching profession, examines their perceptions of its demands and rewards, and identifies the internal and external factors shaping their career choices.
Research Methods: An online questionnaire of closed-ended items, supplemented by interviews, was administered to pre-service teachers at several Indonesian universities. Responses were analysed descriptively and the reported percentages examined for internal consistency.
Results and Discussion: A personal desire to become a teacher (42%) was the leading reason for choosing a teacher education program, followed by family advice (39%) and perceived job availability (19%). Respondents rejected the notion that teaching is easy and 85.6% were sceptical about salary, yet 64.3% agreed that the profession offers many opportunities, 75.0% agreed or strongly agreed that teaching is enjoyable, and 75.0% were confident in their own ability to teach. Intrinsic interest therefore coexists with candid recognition of workload and compensation deficits. Every Likert percentage proved to be a multiple of one twenty-eighth, implying an effective denominator of about 28 rather than the 100 claimed.
Research Implications and Contributions: The study situates Indonesian evidence within the FIT-Choice framework and social cognitive career theory, showing that intrinsic attraction and extrinsic skepticism must be addressed together. Recruitment and retention policy should treat pay, workload and status as one problem, and teacher education should build the efficacy beliefs that sustain commitment rather than assuming positive perception is sufficient.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
-
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (see The Effect of Open Access).
Authors retain the copyright and full publishing rights without restrictions.
References
Al-Asfour, A. A., & Barhate, B. (2026). Career Development and Decision-Making in STEM Among Rural Undergraduates: A Social Cognitive Career Theory Perspective. Journal of Career Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453261471228
Arifuddin, A., Thahir, L. S., & Mashuri, S. (2025). The Role of Mentor Teacher in Improving Teacher Professional Education Training Program Through Learning Management System at State Islamic University of Datokarama Palu, Indonesia. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 08(08). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v8-i8-89
ASLAN, M. M., & KABaSAKAL, H. Z. (2026). The Influence of Family on Career Choice and Career Construction Among Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role of Career Stress. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies, 06(07). https://doi.org/10.55677/ijssers/v06i07y2026-01
Burke, B. M., & Ceo‐DiFrancesco, D. (2022). Recruitment and retention of world language teacher education majors: Perspectives of teacher candidates and alumni to remedy a global shortage. Foreign Language Annals, 55(2), 333–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12613
Byram, J. N., Robertson, K. A., & Dilly, C. K. (2021). I am an Educator: Investigating Professional Identity Formation using Social Cognitive Career Theory. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 34(4), 392–404. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2021.1952077
Cahyani, A., & Ubaidillah, H. (2024). Work Stress, Job Satisfaction, and Motivation on Teacher Performance. Academia Open, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.21070/acopen.8.2023.4377
Caire, G., & Becker, G. S. (1967). Human Capital, a Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education. Revue Économique, 18(1), 132. https://doi.org/10.2307/3499575
Canete, L. (2025). Teacher’ Workload in Relation to Burnout and Teaching Effectiveness. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.50954
Castillo, S. (2023). The National Teacher Shortage: Addressing the Needs of LGBTQ+ Educators to Increase Recruitment and Retention. Journal of Education Human Resources, 41(3), 584–593. https://doi.org/10.3138/jehr-2021-0049
Cholid, I., Setiaji, B., & Waston, W. (2025). Exploring the Mediating Effect of Job Satisfaction of Teacher Salary and Loyalty on Teacher Performance in Muhammadiyah Schools in Samarinda. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(2), e04322. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730x.sdgsreview.v5.n02.pe04322
Christensen, S. S., Davies, R. S., Larsen, R., Harris, S. P., Hanks, J., & Bowles, B. (2022). Parental Perceptions of the Teaching Profession: Factors That Predict Parental Encouragement of Students to Enter the Teaching Profession. Education Sciences, 12(11), 734. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110734
Day, C., Sammons, P., Gu, Q., Kington, A., & Stobart, G. (2009). Committed for Life? Variations in Teachers' Work, Lives and Effectiveness. Teachers' Career Trajectories and Work Lives, 49–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2358-2_4
Dewi, M. S., Intan, N., Ariffin, Z., Fariany, G. R., & Rifani, A. (2024). Does Self-Efficacy Moderate the Effect of Workload on High School Teacher Burnout?. International Journal of Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Education, 03(05). https://doi.org/10.58806/ijirme.2024.v3i5n15
Donitsa‐Schmidt, S. (2025). Teacher shortage in Israel: A policy analysis of recruitment, preparation, and retention. Journal of Education for Teaching, 51(5), 847–865. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2025.2563153
Dorsah, P. (2026). STEM Career Choice of Senior High School Students: A Social Cognitive Career Theory Framework. Current Research Bulletin, 03(09), 334–347. https://doi.org/10.55677/crb/i9-04-crb2026
Dotta, L. T., Rodrigues, S., Joana, L., & Carvalho, M. J. (2025). The attractiveness of the teaching profession: A integrative literature review. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1380942
Duru, H. (2022). Analysis of Relationships between High School Students’ Career Maturity, Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy, and Career Decision-Making Difficulties. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 9(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.52380/ijpes.2022.9.1.479
Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational Beliefs, Values, and Goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 109–132. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153
Feng, X., & Hu, B. (2026). Informational teacher support strengthens the association between psychological resilience and academic self efficacy among preservice English teachers. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-71729-2
Gottfredson, L. S. (1981). Circumscription and compromise: A developmental theory of occupational aspirations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28(6), 545–579. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.28.6.545
Gutiérrez-Banegas, A., & Pérez, E. O. (2026). Beyond salary: Key factors in teacher job satisfaction during the pandemic in Mexico. Visión De Futuro, 169. https://doi.org/10.36995/j.visiondefuturo.2025.30.02.005.en
Haverback, H. R., & McNary, S. W. (2015). Shedding Light on Preservice Teachers' Domain-Specific Self-Efficacy. The Teacher Educator, 50(4), 272–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2015.1070942
Hung, L. T., Tang, T. T., & Le, H. H. (2024). Teaching Career Choice as Motivations: Effects on Students' Self-Regulated Learning Skills. Teaching Career Choice as Motivations: Effects on Students' Self-Regulated Learning Skills. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i5.943
Ingersoll, R. M., May, H., & Collins, G. J. (2019). Recruitment, employment, retention and the minority teacher shortage. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27, 37. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.3714
Kan, A. Ü. (2015). Prospective teachers' perceptions of teaching profession. Contemporary Educational Researches Journal, 12–16. https://doi.org/10.18844/cerj.v5i1.10
King, M. (2023). Why Do Cubans Choose Teaching? Exploring Motivations and Perceptions of Trainee Teachers in Cuba. Journal of Education and Development in the Caribbean, 20(1&2), 76–111. https://doi.org/10.46425/j320124379
Klassen, R. M., & Chiu, M. M. (2011). The occupational commitment and intention to quit of practicing and pre-service teachers: Influence of self-efficacy, job stress, and teaching context. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(2), 114–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.01.002
Klimek, S. G. (2019). Prestige, Status, and Esteem and the Teacher Shortage. Journal of Education and Learning, 8(4), 185. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v8n4p185
Korthagen, F. A. (2010). How teacher education can make a difference. Journal of Education for Teaching, 36(4), 407–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2010.513854
KÜÇÜK, O. (2023). Preservice English teachers’ burnout levels and motivations to choose the teaching career. Turkish Journal of Education, 12(4), 201–226. https://doi.org/10.19128/turje.1205560
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a Unifying Social Cognitive Theory of Career and Academic Interest, Choice, and Performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027
Lyonga, F. I. N. (2026). Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategies in Cameroon’s Public Secondary Schools. Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies, 02(07). https://doi.org/10.65150/ep-jsshrs/v2e7/2026-16
McLean, L., Taylor, M., & Jiménez, M. C. (2019). Career choice motivations in teacher training as predictors of burnout and career optimism in the first year of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 85, 204–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.06.020
Michońska-Stadnik, A. (2019). Reflection before action: Students’ perceptions of selected aspects of the language teaching profession. Glottodidactica, 46(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.14746/gl.2019.46.1.05
Murniarti, E. (2019). Millennials’ career decision-making difficulties (cdmd) in indonesian university students:. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 6(9), 268–276. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.69.7079
Mwangi, P. N. (2024). The Perceptions of the Pre-service Education Students about the Status and Socio-cultural Beliefs about the Teaching Profession. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 288–298. https://doi.org/10.59765/hrye7524
Pfitzner-Eden, F. (2016). Why Do I Feel More Confident? Bandura's Sources Predict Preservice Teachers' Latent Changes in Teacher Self-Efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01486
Prawitasari, G. (2018). The Influence of Generations on Career Choice (Social Cognitive Career Theory Perspective). Konselor, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.24036/02018718464-0-00
Pu'ad, D., Supiana, S., Arifin, B. S., & Anwar, C. (2025). Teacher Competency Development in Improving the Performance of Islamic Religious Education Teachers in Madrasah. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 08(02). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v8-i2-62
Rani, Yuliasri, I., Mujiayanto, J., & Astuti, P. (2023). Enhancing Teacher Professional Development: Insight from Teacher Professional Learning Activities. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies, 03(10). https://doi.org/10.55677/ijssers/v03i10y2023-15
Richardson, P. W., & Watt, H. M. G. (2016). Factors Influencing Teaching Choice: Why Do Future Teachers Choose the Career?. International Handbook of Teacher Education, 275–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0369-1_8
Rino, R., Sabrina, D., Ismail, A., Kurniawati, T., & Darni, M. O. (2023). Employability in the context of career change: Utilizing social cognitive career theory. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 21(2), 459–469. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.21(2).2023.43
Rots, I., Aelterman, A., Devos, G., & Vlerick, P. (2010). Teacher education and the choice to enter the teaching profession: A prospective study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(8), 1619–1629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.06.013
Saeed, A., & Aneesa, A. (2023). Significance of teacher training programs on teacher motivation, professional development, and self-efficacy. Journal of Arts & Social Sciences, 10(2), 126–136. https://doi.org/10.46662/jass.v10i2.404
Sansone, C., & Tang, Y. (2021). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and self-determination theory. Motivation Science, 7(2), 113–114. https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000234
Santos, L. M. D. (2022). Female Engineering Students’ Motivations, Career Decisions, and Decision-Making Processes: A Social Cognitive Career and Motivation Theory. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 11(5), 264. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v11n5p264
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2016). Teacher Stress and Teacher Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Engagement, Emotional Exhaustion, and Motivation to Leave the Teaching Profession. Creative Education, 07(13), 1785–1799. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2016.713182
Sudarto, S. (2023). Madrasah Education Reform in Indonesia. MAQOLAT: Journal of Islamic Studies, 1(1), 18–24. https://doi.org/10.58355/maqolat.v1i1.4
Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S. https://doi.org/10.54300/247.242
Taimalu, M., Luik, P., Кантелинен, Р., & Kukkonen, J. (2021). Why they choose a teaching career? factors motivating career choice among estonian and finnish student teachers. Trames. Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 25(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.3176/tr.2021.1.02
Tran–Thanh, V. (2026). Teachers Are Also Human: Exploring Generation Z Language Teachers’ Perceptions of the Teaching Profession. Language Teacher Education Research, 4, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.32038/lter.2026.04.01
Triyono, N., Arifin, S., & Supriadi, B. (2026). Recruitment Dynamics, Internship Programs, and Teacher Performance: The Mediating Role of Teacher Placement in Indonesia. International Journal of Management and Economics Invention, 12(09). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmei/v12i9.03
Wastyanti, A., & Susetiyo, A. (2025). Integration of Islamic Values in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education (PGMI) Learning to Prepare the Generation of Society 5.0. Action Research Journal Indonesia (ARJI), 7(4). https://doi.org/10.61227/arji.v7i4.585
Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2007). Motivational Factors Influencing Teaching as a Career Choice: Development and Validation of the FIT-Choice Scale. The Journal of Experimental Education, 75(3), 167–202. https://doi.org/10.3200/jexe.75.3.167-202
Widayati, MacCallum, & Woods-McConney (2021). Teachers’ perceptions of continuing professional development: A study of vocational high school teachers in Indonesia. Teacher Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2021.1933159
Wijaya, B. J., & Prastuti, E. (2021). The Contribution of Workload and Stress towards Burnout in Special Needs Teachers. KnE Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v4i15.8215
Yamasaki, H. (2025). Japan's Teacher Shortage at the Beginning of the 21st Century: Declining Competition in Teacher Recruitment Examinations and a Shortage of Regular and Non-Regular Teachers. Educational Studies in Japan, 19(0), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.7571/esjkyoiku.19.5
Yough, M. S. (2019). Tapping the Sources of Self-Efficacy: Promoting Preservice Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Instructing English Language Learners. The Teacher Educator, 54(3), 206–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2018.1534031
Young, J. Q., Sugarman, R., Schwartz, J., Thakker, K., & O’Sullivan, P. (2020). Exploring Residents’ Experience of Career Development Scholarship Tracks: A Qualitative Case Study Using Social Cognitive Career Theory. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 32(5), 522–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2020.1751637
Youngju, J., & Seungkyoung, Y. (2024). Effects of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy, Career Outcome Expectation, and Career Consciousness Maturity on Career Preparation Behavior of Nursing Students. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 13(1), 384. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v13n1p384
Zee, M., & Koomen, H. M. Y. (2016). Teacher Self-Efficacy and Its Effects on Classroom Processes, Student Academic Adjustment, and Teacher Well-Being. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 981–1015. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315626801
Zuhriyah, I. A., Hidayati, S., Hidayat, H., Ramli, N., & Baharuddin, B. (2024). Sustainability Education Design and Environmental Awareness in Madrasah Education within the framework of Islamic Education Management. Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Studies, 07(12). https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v7-i12-12