Becoming a VET teacher as a second career: investigating the determinants of career choice and their relation to perceptions about prior occupation

Abstract

Ageing and the threat of shortages among vocational education and training (VET) teachers are current issues in Europe. Yet, there is little research conducted so far that has investigated scientifically the motivation and perceptions of these teachers. We examine the factors influencing the choice of a second career as a VET teacher in Switzerland. German- and French-speaking VET teachers (N = 483) reported their motivation to become teachers, and their perceptions of teaching, using the FIT-Choice scale. In addition, perceptions of the participants' former occupation were examined in relation to the reasons for choosing teaching as a second career. The results provide an examination of validity of the FIT-Choice scale in a new context, a picture of the determinants of VET teachers' career choice, and an analysis of the relations between perceptions of prior occupations and these determinants, controlling for individual characteristics. Some adaptations of the FIT-Choice framework for investigating VET teachers' motivation are discussed.