Why Teach? A case study investigating the decision to train to teach ICT

This paper investigates the motivations of a cohort of trainee teachers to teach information and communication technology (ICT). The cohort consists of 15 trainees who took a post-graduate certificate in education course at the University of Warwick from 2000 to 2001. It was found that trainees frequently drew on their own past experience of teaching, mentoring or helping a learner when reaching a decision to train to teach. Trainees were also influenced by their special interest in ICT and generalised from their own experiences to believe that young learners would find ICT an interesting and valuable subject. Members of the cohort were not motivated by material rewards, but did look for salary and career progression. This study confirms findings from several other studies on teacher recruitment. However, this study suggests that experiences of taking part in 'teaching-like' activities are more salient than experiences of being a learner when reaching a decision to train to teach.