Secondary PGCE student teachers’ career aspirations:

implications for teacher educators

Joan SmithUniversity of Leicester School of

Education

Overview of the presentation

• Background to the study

• Research design

• Initial findings

• Implications for practice: some strategies trialled at UoL

Background to the study

Life histories & career decisions of women teachers

Life history study of 40 women teachers (Smith, 2007):

• 10 very positive female headteachers;• 28 of 30 female teachers would not

consider headship (Smith, 2011).Student teachers’ aspirations study:• Student teachers’ perceptions

of/aspirations to leadership/headship;• Gender differences in aspirations?

Research design

Student teachers’ aspirations study

Aims:

to investigate whether there are gender differences in student teachers’ aspirations;

to identify key influences on their career orientations over time.

Research questions

• What motivates PGCE students to choose teaching as a career?

• Are there links between the nature of motivation and future aspirations?

• Are there differences according to gender?

Methodology & research tools

Initial survey

Questionnaire to all new secondary PGCE students (n=185)

3 sections:

1. Personal details

2. Factors motivating students to choose teaching as a career

3. Future aspirations

Methodology & research tools

Life history interviews

5 male & 5 female students

Interviews undertaken start of year; repeat end of year & end of QTS year (possibly more)

Longitudinal view of teachers’ aspirations & the factors that affect them

The interviews

• Motivation/reasons for wanting to teach

• Future aspirations

• Perceptions of headship

• Other life experiences impacting on career decision

Initial findings

Findings from initial survey questionnaire

105 (of 185) questionnaires were returned: 36 male (age 21-53)

69 female (age 21-53)Top 5 reasons for wanting to teach:• Job satisfaction (94) and enjoyment (94)• Want to work with young people (88)• Love of specialist subject (83)• Want to make a difference (76)

Future aspirations: top 5 posts

• Head of subject/department (86)

• Head of year/house (63)

• Assistant head of year/house (49)

• Assistant headteacher (41)

• Head of Faculty (39)

Aspirations by gender: senior posts

Post Males/36 Females/69 Total/105

Assistant headteacher

17 24 41

Deputy head/VP

16 13 29

Headteacher/ Principal

13 11 24

Themes emerging from initial interviews

• Intrinsic/altruistic motivation• All male participants would consider

headship• 2 female participants would consider

headship, others unsure• The ways male and female talked about

themselves varied – females more hesitant & uncertain, males more positive & agentic

Q: Do you think you might be a head one day?

‘Erm, yes probably, although…the impression I have of it is that it is actually a lot of paperwork…so if I was going to do it, I would still like to teach and do it…I don’t want to get bogged down in the budgetary side of it and all that sort of stuff if I could help it, but at the same time I think that ultimately I would like to do it…I just think that you would have the opportunity to set the tone for the school and if you can get the school going well it also has a positive impact not just in the school but in the surrounding area…if you get it right it could be a powerful thing’ (Tim, PGCE student, 29)

Q: So, how about in five years, or ten years hence…where do you

think you’ll be?‘Gosh! Err…I don’t know if I’d ever go for a

headteacher role…but you never know as well’ (Becky PGCE student, 23)

‘I suppose I haven’t really thought about it…but err…about being part of the senior management team or anything like that…I wouldn’t be against being part of the senior management team…but I’m not sure I want to take on the, you know, the high up roles…like the deputy head or the head’ (Michelle, PGCE student, 21)

Q: Would [headship] appeal to you?

‘ ‘Yes, I think so…it’s certainly something I wouldn’t ever rule out… I always look at it that other people manage to do it, and yeah, it might take a bit of practice, a bit of skill, but maybe it’s the confidence I’ve got through what I’ve achieved in the past…my degree and my PhD and everything, that it’s just practice’ (Roy, PGCE student, 30).

Q: Does [headship] appeal to you?

‘I think…I don’t know…because I need to experience the teaching first…’cause I don’t know how I’ll feel about that yet. I don’t know how confident I’m going to be. I don’t know what it’s going to do to my head…err…but I do see myself as a very involved teacher, if not, you know, department head or year head…because I don’t want to just teach [subject]…I want to get involved with the school’ (Maggie, PGCE student, 22)

Implications for practice: some strategies

Career Development strand of TDC introduced 2010-11Core sessions:1. Your career starts here: making the most of the PGCE

year2. Roles and responsibilities in the secondary school3. Applying for your first teaching post4. Professional learning communities5. Being a Newly Qualified Teacher6. Induction year, opportunities for CPD and teachers’

unions

Career Development strand: optional workshop sessions

• Practice session for skills test in numeracy• Writing a letter of application• Preparing for an interview• Being a subject leader• Being a SENCO• Becoming a headteacher (cancelled!!!)• Teaching in an EBD school• Teaching Sport

Summary

• Initial findings of study on student teachers’ career aspirations & motivation

• Motivation to teach similar for most student teachers (intrinsic and altruistic)

• Some indications of gender differences in aspirations to the most senior posts

• Need to consider how we can support student teachers with career planning/raising apirations

ReferencesKyriacou, C. & Coulthard, M. (2000) Undergraduates’ views of teaching as a

career choice. Journal of Education for Teaching 26 (2): 117-126.Priyadharshini, E. & Robinson-Pant, A. (2003) The attractions of teaching: an

investigation into why people change careers to teach. Journal of Education for Teaching 29 (2): 95-112.

Roness, D. & Smith, K. (2009) Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and student motivation. European Journal of Teacher Education 32 (2): 111-134.

Smith, J. (2007) Life histories and career decisions of women teachers. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.

Smith, J. (2008) Maslow, motivation and female teachers’ career decisions. Psychology of Women Section Review 10 (1): 22-30.

Smith, J. (2011) (forthcoming) Aspirations to and perceptions of secondary headship: contrasting women teachers’ and headteachers’ perspectives. Educational Management Administration and Leadership.