An investigation into the attraction and rejection factors to the teaching profession : a Maltese case study

Abstract

It is a well-researched fact (Tichenor & Tichenor, 2004; Dray et al., 2010) that many individuals do not regard teachers as professionals although they contribute a crucial service to the society. It is argued that this profession provides the most indispensable service than any other profession in society, as these individuals are catalysts for all the other professions (Nenty, HJ, Moyo, S. and Phuti, F. ,2015). Thus, teachers need to be equipped with prior knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to succeed in this career. A great deal of research highlighted by various researchers (Gomes & Palazzo, 2017; Ashiedu & Scott-Ladd, 2012) has concluded that there are several attractions to the teaching profession, nonetheless, pre-service teachers face different hardships during their journey, which may impact the way they look at this this career (Garza & Smith, 2015; Özdas, 2018). This study will take into consideration the pay, working conditions, the state of the economy and employment in Malta alongside the length and level of initial teacher education to examine what factors attract and those which are a turning point for individuals who are pursuing this career. The aim of this research study is to explore and obtain a deeper insight into the local scenario of the Maltese situation, by investigating different factors as argued by the individuals interviewed backed up with local and international research. It also aims to explore how different experiences can incite their love for learning and teaching, without the pressure of the challenges faced especially when in training. Thus, the main research question for this study will be as follows: What are the attraction and rejection factors of the teaching profession. Different perspectives from Maltese pre-service teachers will be included in this research.