Beyond the Degree: Why ELT Graduates Do Not Pursue Teaching Careers

Öz

This multiple case study explores why English Language Teaching (ELT) graduates in Türkiye, despite completing teacher education programs, chose not to pursue the teaching profession. Drawing on the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) framework, the research investigates how personal motivations, experiences within teacher education programs, and personality traits interact with broader systemic and labor market factors to shape career decisions. Nine participants, accessed through snowball sampling, were categorized into three groups: anti-teaching, undecided, and pro-teaching, based on their initial commitment toward the profession. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed through content analysis. Findings indicated that although many participants expressed strong motivations and self-efficacy beliefs, their decisions were influenced by concerns about job insecurity, inadequate salaries, lack of autonomy, and a mismatch between their expectations and the realities of teaching. The study highlights the importance of addressing both individual and structural factors that discourage graduates from pursuing teaching. It offers insights for teacher education programs and policy-makers working to enhance teacher recruitment and retention strategies.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• ELT graduates
• initial commitment
• teacher education
• teaching profession

Etik Beyan

Bu çalışma Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Uygulamalı Etik Araştırma Merkezi, İnsan Araştırmaları Etik Kurulu (Protokol No. ODTUIAEK-2024) 22.11.2024 tarihli alınan onay kararı ile yürütülmüştür.

Diplomanın Ötesinde: İngilizce Öğretmenliği Mezunları Neden Öğretmenlik Kariyerine Yönelmiyor?

Öz

Bu çoklu durum çalışması, Türkiye’de İngilizce Öğretmenliği (ELT) programlarını tamamlamış olmalarına rağmen öğretmenlik mesleğine girmemeyi tercih eden mezunların gerekçelerini incelemektedir. “Öğretmenlik Mesleğini Tercih Etme Nedenleri” (FIT-Choice) kuramsal çerçevesinden yararlanılarak, kişisel motivasyonlar, öğretmen yetiştirme programlarındaki deneyimler ve kişilik özelliklerinin, daha geniş sistemsel ve iş gücü piyasasına ilişkin etkenlerle nasıl etkileşim içinde kariyer kararlarını şekillendirdiği araştırılmıştır. Kartopu örneklem yoluyla ulaşılan dokuz katılımcı, öğretmenlik mesleğine yönelik başlangıçtaki bağlılık düzeylerine göre üç gruba ayrılmıştır: mesleğe uzak duranlar, kararsızlık yaşayanlar ve öğretmenlik yapmayı düşünenler. Veriler, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmış ve içerik analizi yöntemiyle çözümlenmiştir. Bulgular, birçok katılımcının yüksek motivasyona ve öğretme becerilerine dair yüksek öz yeterlik inançlarına sahip olmalarına rağmen, iş güvencesi eksikliği, yetersiz maaşlar, mesleki özerklik eksikliği ve öğretmenliğe dair beklentiler ile gerçekler arasındaki uyumsuzluk gibi faktörlerin kararlarını etkilediğini ortaya koymuştur. Çalışma, mezunların öğretmenliği tercih etmeme nedenlerinin hem bireysel hem de yapısal boyutlarının dikkate alınması gerektiğini vurgulamakta; öğretmen yetiştirme programları ve eğitim politikaları için öğretmen temini ve meslekte kalıcılığı güçlendirmeye yönelik önemli çıkarımlar sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Başlangıç motivasyonu
• ELT mezunları
• öğretmen eğitimi
• öğretmenlik mesleği

Etik Beyan

Bu çalışma Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Uygulamalı Etik Araştırma Merkezi, İnsan Araştırmaları Etik Kurulu (Protokol No. ODTUIAEK-2024) 22.11.2024 tarihli alınan onay kararı ile yürütülmüştür.

Kaynakça

1. Aksu, M., Engin-Demir, C., Daloğlu, A., Yıldırım, S., & Kiraz, E. (2010). Who are the future teachers in Turkey? Characteristics of entering student teachers.International Journal of Educational Development, 30(1), 91-101.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2009.06.005
2. Alam, M. S., & Asmawi, A. (2024). Exploring early career teacher attrition and career switching in higher education: A narrative study. Universal Library of Languages and Literatures, 1(1), 8–19. https://doi.org/10.70315/uloap.ullli.2024.0101002
3. Altunoğlu, B. D., Kurnaz, M. A., & Sexton, S. (2022). Pre-service primary school teachers’ motivations for choosing the teaching profession and their self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching.Online Science Education Journal, 7(2), 58-71.
4. Arksey, H., & Knight, P. (1999). Interviewing for social scientists. London: SAGE.
5. Balyer, A., & Özcan, K. (2014). Choosing teaching profession as a career: Students’ reasons. International Education Studies, 7(5), 104–115.
6. Başöz, T. (2021). “I’ve decided to become an English teacher”: Pre-service EFL teachers’ reasons for choosing teaching as a career. Kastamonu Education Journal, 29(5), 813-821. https://doi.org/10.24106/kefdergi.860727
7. Bilim, İ. (2014). Pre-service elementary teachers’ motivations to become a teacher and its relationship with teaching self-efficacy. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 152, 653–661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.09.258
8. Bogdan, R., & Biklen, S. K. (2007). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theory and methods (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

9. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). NY: Routledge.
10. Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
11. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). LA: SAGE.
12. Çakır, A., Er, E., & Korumaz, M. (2024). Why teachers leave teachıng: The case of private schools in Turkey. Uluslararası Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 8(4), 830-851.
13. Çelen, B. (2022). Factors influencing pre-service EFL teachers’ decision to become teachers. The Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 12(1), 109–121.
14. Damar, E. A. (2018). Identifying motivational factors of pre-service EFL teachers. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 7(1), 147-151. https://doi.org/10.2478/ajis-2018-0015
15. Day, C. (2008). Committed for life? Variations in teachers’ work, lives and effectiveness. Journal of Educational Change, 9(3), 243–260.
16. Demirtaş, H., Cömert, M., & Özer, N. (2011). Pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards profession. Education and Science, 36(159), 96–111.
17. Eren, A., & Tezel, K. V. (2010). Factors influencing teaching choice, professional plans about teaching, and future time perspective: A mediational analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 1416-1428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.05.001
18. Eren, A. (2017). Professional aspirations among pre-service teachers: Personal responsibility, time perspectives, and career choice satisfaction. The Australian Educational Researcher, 44(3), 275–297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-017-0234-y
19. Eret-Orhan, E. & Ok, A., (2014). Who prefer teacher education programs? Candidates’ entry characteristics and attitude towards teaching.Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 29(4), 75-92.
20. Glutsch, N., & König, J. (2019). Pre-service teachers’ motivations for choosing teaching as a career: Does subject interest matter? Journal of Education for Teaching, 45(5), 494–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2019.1674560
21. Gökten Bayrak, Ö. (2023). Teacher attrition: Why do teachers leave? [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Middle East Technical University, Türkiye.
22. Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1982). Epistemological and methodological bases of naturalistic inquiry. ECTJ, 30(4), 233–252. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02765185
23. Hahs-Vaughn, D. L., & Scherff, L. (2008). Beginning English teacher attrition, mobility, and retention. Journal of Experimental Education, 77(1), 21–54. https://doi.org/10.3200/JEXE.77.1.21-54
24. İnci, S., & Yıldız, S. (2019). Perceptions of English teachers in Turkey and Germany. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 7(2), 436 - 449. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2019.070216.
25. Ingersoll, R., Merrill, L., & May, H. (2014).What are the effects of teacher education and preparation on beginning teacher attrition. Research Report (#RR-82). Philadelphia: Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania.
26. Johnson, S. M., & Birkeland, S. E. (2004). Pursuing a “sense of success”: New teachers explain their career decisions. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 581–617. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312040003581
27. Kelchtermans, G. (2017). ‘Should I stay or should I go?’: Unpacking teacher attrition/retention as an educational issue. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 23(8), 961–977. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2017.1379793
28. Kılınç, A., Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2012). Factors influencing teaching choice in Turkey. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 40(3), 199–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2012.700048
29. Klassen, R. M., & Chiu, M.M. (2011). The occupational commitment and intention to quit of practicing and pre-service teachers: Influence of self-efficacy, job stress, and teaching context. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(2), 114–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.01.002
30. König, J., & Rothland, M. (2012). Motivations for choosing teaching as a career: Effects on general pedagogical knowledge during initial teacher education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 40(3), 289–315. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2012.700045
31. Kula, S. S. (2022). The predictive relationship between pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy belief, attitudes towards teaching profession and teaching motivation. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 9(4), 705–718. https://doi.org/10.33200/ijcer.1068573
32. Lin, E., Shi, Q., Wang, J., Zhang, S., & Hui, L. (2012). Initial motivations for teaching: Comparison between preservice teachers in the United States and China. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 40(3), 227–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2012.700047
33. Lindqvist, P., Nordänger, U. K., & Carlsson, R. (2014). Teacher attrition in the first five years – A multifaceted image. Teaching and Teacher Education, 40, 94–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.02.005
34. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. (2016). Designing qualitative research (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage. Moses, I., Admiraal, W., Berry, A., & Saab, N. (2019). Student-teachers’ commitment to teaching and intentions to enter the teaching profession in Tanzania. South African Journal of Education, 39(1),1-15.https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v39n1a1485
35. Mtika, P., & Gates, P. (2011). What do secondary trainee teachers say about teaching as a profession of their “choice” in Malawi?. Teaching and Teacher Education 27(2), 424–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.09.012
36. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2005). Teachers matter: Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers. Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
37. Öztürk Akar, E. (2012). Motivations of Turkish pre-service teachers to choose teaching as a career. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(10). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2012v37n10.7
38. Ramachandran, V., Pal, M., Jain, S., Shekhar, S., & Sharma. J. (2006). Teacher motivation in India. New Delhi: Educational Resource Unit.
39. Rots, I., Aelterman, A., & Devos, G. (2012). Teacher education graduates’ entrance into the teaching profession: Development and test of a model. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(4), 649–660.
40. San Martín, C., Calvo, R., Sharma, U., Ramírez, C., & Muñoz, Y. (2024). Attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention to teach in inclusive classrooms of in-service teachers in Chile: Validating scales. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 30(11), e0101. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54702024v30e0101
41. Sardana, V., Verma, S., & Singhania, S. (2021). Motivational factors that influence choosing teaching as a career: A FIT-Choice study of preservice and inservice teachers in India. Universitepark Bulletin, 10(2), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.22521/unibulletin.2021.102.4
42. Struyven, K., & Vanthournout, G. (2014). Teachers’ exit decisions: An investigation into the reasons why newly qualified teachers fail to enter the teaching profession or why those who do enter do not continue teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 43, 37–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.06.002
43. Suryani, A. (2021). “I chose teacher education because”: A look into Indonesian future teachers. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(1), 70–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1783202
44. Tait, M. (2008). Resilience as a contributor to novice teacher success, commitment, and retention. Teacher Education Quarterly, 35(4), 57-76.
45. Topkaya, E. Z., & Uztosun, M. S. (2012). Choosing teaching as a career: Motivations of pre-service English teachers in Turkey. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(1), 126–134.
46. Uygun, E., & Karakaş, M. (2023). “I’m a teacher material!”: Reasons of preservice English teachers for choosing to become a teacher. International Journal of Innovative Approaches in Education, 7(2), 59–78. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijiape.2023.567.2
47. Verger, A., Fontdevila, C., & Zancajo, A. (2016). The privatization of education: A political economy of global education reform. Teachers College Press.
48. Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2007). Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: Development and validation of the FIT-Choice scale. The Journal of Experimental Education, 75(3). 167-202. https://doi.org/10.3200/JEXE.75.3.167-202
49. Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2008). Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers.Learning and Instruction, 18, 408-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.06.002
50. Watt, H. M. G., Richardson, P. W, Klusmann, U., Kunter, M., Beyer, B., Trautwein, U., Baumert, J. (2012). Motivations for choosing teaching as a career: An international comparison using the FIT-Choice scale. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(6), 791-805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2012.03.003
51. Yöney, R. Z., & Mirici, I. H. (2025). Pre-service EFL teachers’ motivation to teach in Turkish universities. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 15(1), 55-65.
52. Yüce, K., Şahin, E. Y., Koçer, Ö., & Kana, F. (2013). Motivations for choosing teaching as a career: A perspective of pre-service teachers from a Turkish context. Asia Pacific Education Review, 14(3), 295–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-013-9258-9