Civic mindedness and pre-service teachers’ perceptions of their future selves

Abstract

This study examined the relationship among pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) values, certification area of choice and perceptions of future career commitments and aspirations. Values were measured through the personal utility value items on the FIT-Choice scale and what we are calling ‘civic mindedness’, a construct we validated as part of this study. Results from a structural equation model allowed us to confirm our three hypotheses: (1) the civic mindedness variable is a valid construct; (2) civic mindedness positively predicts future career commitments and aspirations; and (3) civic mindedness mediated the relationship among certain PSTs’ certification choices and their future career commitments and aspirations, except their perceptions of how long they plan to persist in the field. Findings from this study suggest that teacher education programmes should consider assessing PSTs’ level of civic mindedness, emphasizing PSTs’ future commitments and aspirations in the field.