Attitudes of high schools students towards the teaching profession

Abstract

This paper draws on original empirical phenomenological study data to examine the attitudes of high school students towards the teaching profession. The study examines how the high school students perceive the teaching profession and the factors that cause such attitudes. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilised to facilitate triangulation, thus to verify the same findings, to establish data trustworthiness and to reduce the risk of chance association and systematic biases so that the study's validity and reliability is enhanced. Triangulation also served to link empirical data and gave depth to the interpretation of results. The findings of the study highlight issues around the low salary or remuneration in the teaching profession, work overload and added responsibilities, violence and learners' lack of discipline at schools, and most notably the fact that teachers are not encouraging students to follow the teaching profession. Another issue highlighted in the findings is that the high school students no longer see teaching as a noble profession as it is stressful and a low status job and therefore, would not follow it even if bursaries are made available. This thesis further makes an original contribution to the understanding of how high school students nowadays see the teaching profession. It raises serious issues for all the educational stakeholders specifically the South African government and the governments of the world as they are faced with an acute teacher shortages. The recommendations thereof suggest aspects which can be utilised for the benefit of the teaching profession.