Initial motivations for teaching: comparison between preservice teachers in the United States and China

Abstract

Abstract This study examined similar and differing initial motivations to teach between 257 US and 542 Chinese preservice teachers using the recently validated FIT-Choice scale. In both countries, participants were motivated to enter teaching because of their social utility values. US preservice teachers reported significantly higher motivations from social utility values, teaching abilities, intrinsic career value, and prior teaching and learning experiences, and lower fallback career motivations. While both viewed teaching as low in return, Chinese participants rated teaching to be low in demand whereas US participants perceived it as high in demand. Despite this, US participants were more satisfied with their career choice. Subtle similarities and differences between the two countries are discussed in relation to social and cultural-value differences. Keywords: career choicecomparative educationpreservice teachersteacher motivation Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge all the US and Chinese administrators, faculty and the graduate students at both university sites for assisting with the data collection in this study. We would also like to thank Helen Watt and Paul Richardson and the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and insights.