Devenir enseignant du premier ou second degré : intérêts et incertitudes des étudiants de la démocratisation scolaire

Abstract

The difficulties in recruiting future teachers which have been observed in France (and elsewhere) over the last years raise the question of how students choose the study programs and the competitive exams giving access to teacher careers. First, the paper analyses students’ trajectories and ‘choices’ when opting for or dismissing this career choice. Then, it focuses on students’ perceptions of the conditions of occupational practice and of the social status of the profession. The comparison of primary and secondary education is used as the main vantage point to analyze how students choose to become teachers. Indeed, students’ aspirations as well as the obstacles they face when choosing between a primary or secondary education teacher career depend on their social background and on the intrinsic value they see in it. The loss of attractiveness of the profession thus appears relative. Motivated students, trained in the context of increased democratic access to education, demonstrate a strong determination to join the profession they chose. The survey is based on a sample of 1103 Bachelor students from different study programs and Universities.

Keywords

• students
• attractiveness
• teacher profession
• study paths
• career choices
• perceptions