Factors Motivating Bachelor’s Degree Graduates to Pursue Teaching as a Career: A Case of the National Institute of Education (NIE), Cambodia

Understanding what motivates graduates to choose teaching as a career is crucial for teacher recruitment and preparation programs, but information regarding their motivation is scarce. This study addresses that gap by exploring the motivational factors of student teachers to choose teaching as a career, employing a quantitative approach, using cross-sectional design among 765 bachelor’s degree graduates at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Cambodia. A total of 667 questionnaires of the 28-item instrument (87.19%) were completed with the five-point Likert scale measured extrinsic, intrinsic, and altruistic motivations showing internal reliability (? = .854). The study found that the highest motivation was the nobleness of the profession (M = 4.55), the second was assisting children to do well in academic performance (M = 4.47), and third was contributing to the society (M = 4.38). Respondents highly supported professional development, lifelong learning, joy, and applying knowledge. Opportunities for work and its stability, and the social support also mattered for respondents, but the least valued aspect was teaching as “no other choice” (M = 2.37). This research has practical applications for recruiting, career guidance, and pre-service training.