“Maybe I Should Try Out Becoming a Teacher”: Why Science Majors Enter Science Teaching

Ashley N. Coon

doi:10.29333/ijese/7817

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Ashley N. Coon ¹ ^*

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¹ University of Maryland, UNITED STATES^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This multiple-case study was conducted to evaluate claims that the literature on the recruitment of science majors into science teaching is sparse and unable to adequately explain why undergraduates decide to pursue science teaching. I interviewed six undergraduate science majors who have committed to an initial science teacher preparation program to ascertain their motivations for choosing a career in teaching. This analysis reveals that the literature has not adequately identified all the reasons why a group of science majors decided to pursue science teaching. Four novel motives were identified which should inform future research into science teacher recruitment.

Keywords

teacher recruitment
science education
science teacher education
secondary science
career choice
teacher identity

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED, Volume 16, Issue 2, 2020, Article No: e2213

https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/7817

Publication date: 26 Feb 2020

Article Views: 3078

Article Downloads: 2380

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How to cite this article

APA

Coon, A. N. (2020). “Maybe I Should Try Out Becoming a Teacher”: Why Science Majors Enter Science Teaching. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 16(2), e2213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/7817

Vancouver

Coon AN. “Maybe I Should Try Out Becoming a Teacher”: Why Science Majors Enter Science Teaching. INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED. 2020;16(2):e2213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/7817

AMA

Coon AN. “Maybe I Should Try Out Becoming a Teacher”: Why Science Majors Enter Science Teaching. INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED. 2020;16(2), e2213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/7817

Chicago

Coon, Ashley N.. "“Maybe I Should Try Out Becoming a Teacher”: Why Science Majors Enter Science Teaching". Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education 2020 16 no. 2 (2020): e2213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/7817

Harvard

Coon, A. N. (2020). “Maybe I Should Try Out Becoming a Teacher”: Why Science Majors Enter Science Teaching. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 16(2), e2213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/7817

MLA

Coon, Ashley N. "“Maybe I Should Try Out Becoming a Teacher”: Why Science Majors Enter Science Teaching". Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, vol. 16, no. 2, 2020, e2213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/7817