Abstract
Motivation to enter initial teacher education is a key concern in research globally and in South Africa specifically. Supply of teachers for the Foundation Phase is identified as a critical need in South Africa and understanding of why individuals enter these programmes is crucial. In this context, this article explores what motivates student teachers to enter the Bachelor of Education in the Foundation Phase. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from a survey administered to first-year student teachers at three public higher education institutions in South Africa, this article examines the reasons why student teachers enrol in Foundation Phase Bachelor of Education initial teacher education programmes, highlighting the extrinsic and intrinsic reasons for doing so. The article concludes by drawing out the implications of the research into motivation to enter Foundation Phase teaching and how it relates to understanding and managing Foundation Phase teacher supply in South Africa.
Highlights
International studies (Kyriacou, Hultgren & Stephens 1999; Thomson, Turner & Nietfeld 2012) highlight the fact that effective schools are those that have good quality teachers
The picture that emerges from the data of this study is that motivations to become a teacher are varied and complex, which can be attributed to both extrinsic and intrinsic factors
Dominant extrinsic determinants were on the whole mainly financial, related to work security and the need to function in a stable work environment
Summary
International studies (Kyriacou, Hultgren & Stephens 1999; Thomson, Turner & Nietfeld 2012) highlight the fact that effective schools are those that have good quality teachers. In the South African context, there are systemic concerns about attracting and recruiting the best teachers to redress the unequal apartheid legacy confounded by current inequalities in education. Teaching is not considered the most attractive career option. Van Broekhuizen (2015) and other researchers note several systemic challenges in teacher recruitment. These include balancing supply and demand, attracting the best into teaching, an ageing cohort of teachers which needs replacing, an oversupply in some fields or subjects and undersupply in others – in combinations of phases, subjects and language instruction
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