Factors of Pre-service English as Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers’ Choices to Pursue a Teaching Career

Abstract

Teacher shortage is severe around the world and this dearth is also strongly felt in core subjects in Israel, specifically in English and Mathematics. As a result, efforts should be made to guarantee that the majority of pre-service teachers choose to pursue a teaching career upon graduating from their teacher education program. This study investigates the main motives of pre-service EFL teachers to enroll in teacher education and their perceptions about the importance of a set of internal and external factors, namely, self-efficacy, availability of a support system and satisfaction from their teacher education program regarding their decision to pursue a teaching career. In this qualitative study, 24 pre-service EFL teachers in a teacher education college in Israel were interviewed in semi-structured interviews. The results yielded evidence for perceived teaching ability being the most substantial initial motive for choosing a teaching career, and for the significance of the specifically explored internal and external factors in the decision of pre-service EFL teachers to pursue a teaching career. The results and their implications on teacher education are discussed.