Understanding the reasons why career changers pursue or pass on a STEM teaching career: a Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) approach

The Australian Educational Researcher Pub Date : 2024-04-02 DOI:10.1007/s13384-024-00712-5

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Abstract

Intractable shortages of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers have prompted international policy efforts to recruit career changers to the profession. This research determines the significant influences on career changers’ decisions to pursue or pass on STEM teaching careers. Surveys completed by 91 career changers from Queensland, Australia, were analysed with Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) methods and Margaret Archer’s theories of reflexivity to establish the relative importance of factors influencing career changers’ deliberations on a STEM teaching career. The social impact of teaching was the most influential factor for career changers considering STEM teaching. Career changers who pursued the profession were also influenced by past teaching experiences and feelings towards STEM subjects. Conversely, career changers who decided against STEM teaching indicated their personal traits and life circumstances might not suit a teaching career. These findings offer implications for research and policy aimed at recruiting career changers into STEM teaching careers.

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了解职业转换者从事或放弃科学、技术、工程和数学教学职业的原因：最佳-最差比例（BWS）方法

摘要科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教师的短缺问题十分棘手，这促使国际政策努力招募转行者从事这一职业。本研究确定了影响职业转换者决定从事或放弃 STEM 教师职业的重要因素。研究采用最佳-最差量表（BWS）方法和玛格丽特-阿切尔（Margaret Archer）的反身性理论，对澳大利亚昆士兰州 91 名转行者填写的调查问卷进行了分析，以确定影响转行者选择 STEM 教师职业的因素的相对重要性。对于考虑从事 STEM 教学的职业转换者来说，教学的社会影响是最具影响力的因素。过去的教学经验和对 STEM 学科的感情也影响着从事这一职业的职业转换者。相反，决定不从事 STEM 教学工作的职业转换者则表示，他们的个人特质和生活环境可能不适合从事教学工作。这些发现对旨在吸引转行者从事 STEM 教学职业的研究和政策具有启示意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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The Australian Educational Researcher

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