Preservice Teachers’ Motivations for the Accounting Teaching Profession: Fit-Choice Findings from a Selected Public Universities in Ghana

Leticia Sam ,Daniel Agyapong ,Andze Ahmed Tahir ,John Kojo Sam

doi:10.7176/jep/12-6-06

Abstract

Teacher motivation influences teachers’ actions in the classroom and student achievement. Grounded in the FIT-Choice model, the study investigated the perception of preservice teachers about accounting teaching profession. Again, the study examined the motivational factors that attract preservice teachers to the accounting teaching profession. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used for the study. The population comprised all final year Bachelor of Education accounting students of University of Cape Coast and University of Education, Winneba (i.e 2018/19 academic year). Proportionate stratified sampling technique was utilised to engage 226 preservice teachers (students) in a survey. FIT-Choice scale developed by Watt and Richardson (2007) was adapted and used. Data to answer research question 1 and 2 were analysed using mean and standard deviation. Findings revealed that preservice teachers have a positive perception about the accounting teaching profession. Again, findings showed that preservice teachers were attracted to the accounting teaching profession predominantly by social utility value and personal utility values. The study recommends that academic advisors, counsellors and faculty must continue to strengthen career guidance and counselling among students (i.e., preservice teachers) to sustain the positive view that preservice teachers have about the accounting teaching profession. Keywords: Accounting, Teaching, Motivational factors, Career Choice, Interest DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-6-06 Publication date: February 28 th 2021

Highlights

Well accepted global notion is the fact that teachers can and do make a difference by influencing the lives of students and their orientation to learning
RESEARCH QUESTIONS The following research questions were posed to guide the study: What perceptions do preservice teachers have about the teaching of Accounting? What motivational factors attract preservice teachers to the teaching of accounting in Ghana?
The positive perception about accounting teaching job agrees with the FIT-Choice model personal utility value that suggests that people take teaching jobs because they feel the job is honourable that fit their interest (Watt & Richardson, 2007)

Summary

Introduction

Well accepted global notion is the fact that teachers can and do make a difference by influencing the lives of students and their orientation to learning. It has been acknowledged by Governments around the world that quality teachers and teaching are pivotal to the advancement and maintenance of an intelligent, informed citizenry (Richardson & Watt, 2006). Teachers are indispensable stakeholders in education without whom no country can achieve its educational goals (Salifu, 2013). Previous studies have revealed that when teachers feel more motivated they exhibit greater planning and organization, more openness to new ideas, a willingness to experiment with new teaching methods, and greater persistence in working with struggling students (Thoonen, Sleegers, Ort, Peetsma, & Geijsel, 2011; Lam, Cheng, & Ma, 2009)

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Conclusion