The factors influencing mathematics students to choose teaching as a career

Abstract

English: This quantitative and qualitative study, prompted by the poor state of mathematics education in South Africa, explores the factors that influenced 40 Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students with mathematics as a subject from three Universities in the Western Cape of South Africa to choose teaching as a career. The participants stated their reasons for their career choice by answering an open ended question and they also completed a FIT-choice questionnaire, constructed and validated by Professors Watt and Richardson of the Monash University in Australia. The motivations identified by the questionnaire are based on the concepts of Self-efficacy, Self-determination Theory (SDT) and Expectancy Value Theory (EVT). The students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds speaking different home-languages responded similarly. They rated intrinsic motivations such as “want to make a difference in the lives of children” and “contribute to the development of the country” highest and extrinsic motivations such as salary and job security were rated lowest. The study argues that insight into the factors that influence students to choose mathematics teaching as a career will assist in managing the recruitment and retention of quality mathematics teachers to address the shortage of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers and graduates that exists globally as well as in South Africa. The importance of subject knowledge and pedagogical competency of teachers is highlighted.

Afrikaans: Hierdie kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe studie wat deur die swak gehalte van wiskunde onderrig in Suid-Afrika geïnspireer is, ondersoek die faktore wat 40 Nagraadse Onderwysstudente (NOS) met wiskunde as vak van drie Universiteite in die Weskaap Provinsie van Suid-Afrika beïnvloed het om onderwys as beroep te kies. Die deelnemers het „n ope vraag beantwoord sowel as „n “FIT-choice” vraelys ingevul om die redes vir hul beroepskeuse te verklaar. Die vraelys is deur Professore Watt en Richardson van die Monash Universiteit in Australië opgestel en gevalideer. Die motiverings wat deur die vraelys geïdentifiseer word is op die konsepte “Self-efficacy, Self-determination Theory (SDT)” en “Expectancy Value Theory (EVT)” gegrond. Die studente van uiteenlopende sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde wat verskillende moedertale praat het soortgelyke reaksies op die vraeslys gehad. Hul het intrinsieke motivering soos “om „n verskil in die lewens van kinders te maak” en “maak „n bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van die land” hoog aangeskryf terwyl ekstrinsieke motivering soos salaris en werksekuriteit as minder belangrike faktore uitgewys is. Die studie argumenteer dat insig in die faktore wat studente beïnvloed om wiskunde onderwys as „n beroep te kies die bestuur van die werwing en retensie van kwaliteit wiskunde onderwysers sal ondersteun sodat die tekort aan Wetenskap, Tegnologie, Ingenieurswese en Wiskunde (die sogenaamde “STEM” velde) onderwysers en gegradueerdes wat wêreldwyd sowel as in Suid-Afika bestaan, aangespreek sal word. Die belangrikheid van vakkennis sowel as die pedagogiese bevoegdheid van onderwysers word na vore gebring.