Self-concept of teaching ability and values for teaching : definition, measurement and relative influences on the choice of teaching as a career

Objectives of the present study were to apply current influential models from the motivational literature to issues and findings relating to teacher recruitment. Specifically, our goals were to develop a comprehensive scale (the 'Factors Influencing Teaching Choice [FIT-Choice]' scale) measuring factors influencing the choice of teaching as a career, validate the scale on two large cohorts of preservice teachers in Sydney Australia, and determine the factors most important in choosing teaching for these cohorts. Our study makes important theoretical contributions through establishing a comprehensive framework to guide future investigations, as well as important applied contributions through providing an integrative measure to assess motivations for the choice of a teaching career. Values and self-concept of ability emerged as the strongest influences on the choice of teaching as a career, as the motivational literature would suggest. Understanding preservice teachers' motivations for choosing teaching suggests implications for teacher recruitment, having clear social and political relevance in the current climate of severe teacher shortages.