Why Teaching? Reasons for Choosing Teaching as a Second Career

For decades, the traditional path to teaching career has involved entering the classroom immediately after graduating from college.  However, the demographics reveal that about half of modern teachers filling the nation’s classrooms are second- career teachers. These are professionals who finished a special program for teachers and passed the licensure exam for teachers. This study was conducted to uncover the factors that attracted professionals to choose teaching as a second career. A total of 41 DBET students of SLSU-Tomas Oppus from SY 2011-12 to SY 2013-14 were purposively chosen as respondents of this longitudinal study. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, and mode. Findings reveal that more female than male students in SLSU-Tomas Oppus chose teaching as second career. At an average age of 30, they previously worked with an average monthly income of P8, 000.00. Social and economic status, enjoyment and knowledge derived from working with adolescent and personal satisfaction were the respondents’ major reasons for choosing teaching as a second career. This study, therefore, provides evidence that personal satisfaction and social concern are motivating factors for choosing teaching as a profession.

 

Keywords - Teacher Education, Second Career Students, Descriptive-Survey, Southern Leyte, Philippines