Choosing Teaching as a Career: Perspective of Pre-Service Teachers in Cameroon

Abstract

The Higher Teachers’ Training Colleges (HTTCs) and Higher Teachers’ Technical Training Colleges (HTTTCs) in Cameroon prepare all teachers seeking to be employed within the education service in Cameroon. In the last decade, Ecole Normale Superieur (ENS) and Ecole Normale Superieur d’Enseignement Technique (ENSET)’s enrolments for initial teacher preparation programs have grown significantly, with peaks in numbers during the recession years. There is also some evidence of attrition when beginning teachers complete their 3-year courses with the Ministry of Higher Education, which sponsors their teacher education program. This research sought to investigate the principal determining factors that are extrinsic, intrinsic and altruistic to choosing teaching as a career in Cameroon. It also investigated the expectations and the plans of pre-service teachers in Cameroon. The study was carried out within a duration of 6 months with a total of 210 (125 females and 85 males) teacher trainees in their first year, involved in the study. The types of motivation when choosing teaching as a career were studied using ‘Teaching Career Choice Scale’. The model of motivation types was supplemented by subscales: Influenced by others, Career growth, motivation and alternative choice. The findings of the study revealed that male and female student teachers have similar motives in selecting teaching as a career. The mean scores for both genders were closely related. For altruistic factors, the mean ranges respectively for males and females were 32.41 and 32.26. Extrinsic factors stood at 40.18 and 37.06 respectively. Intrinsic and altruistic factors motivated teachers the less, scoring a mean range of 26.07 and 26.14. This paper also discussed the findings in relation to wider issues concerning gender, and drew conclusions which may be helpful to policy-makers and institutions in the recruitment of students into pre-service teacher training.