We Don’t Need No Education? Drivers and Deterrents in Career Decision-Making: A Comprehensive Model of Choosing Teaching

This study presents and tests a model of vocational choice based on Gottfredson’s theory to explain the relatively low interest in teaching as a career and its underlying determinants. We propose that career choice criteria and vocational interests mediate the relationship between demographic and socio-economic factors and individuals’ perceived likelihood of choosing teaching as a profession. The study was conducted in Israel using a sample of 420 young adults at an early stage of vocational decision-making. Participants completed validated measures assessing career choice criteria, vocational interests, and a range of demographic and socio-economic variables. The findings provide partial support for the proposed model. Specifically, social vocational interests, along with prioritization of self-actualization and status as career choice criteria, were found to mediate the relationships between certain demographic factors, socio-economic status, prior academic achievement, and the perceived likelihood of choosing teaching as a career. Further analysis suggests that teaching is often perceived as a fallback option rather than a primary career choice. These findings are discussed in relation to current policies and ongoing personnel shortages in the education system.