Why I Chose to Become a Mathematics Teacher? <br/>—An Analysis of the Motivations behind the Choice of Profession Based on Gender, Seniority, and Age of Students

Abstract

One of the major decisions individuals make in their life is their choice of profession. This article presents a unique study of 60 mathematics teachers who disclose their motivations for choosing to teach mathematics. It shows that their main reasons are the intrinsic challenge in learning and teaching mathematics, their desire to impart knowledge to students and influence the next generation, their desire to be an educational figure, and their sense of purpose and mission. The teachers filled out a questionnaire with statements in categories based on findings in the literature, which were then analyzed on the basis of gender, seniority, and type of school (elementary/post-elementary). The results suggest that women were more apt than men to be motivated by the desire to impart learning strategies to students, the desire to be an educational figure, and out of a sense of purpose and mission; veteran teachers were more motivated than novice by their love of mathematics and their desire to influence their student’s personal development; and elementary school teachers were attracted to the profession because the degree required is not difficult to achieve and because students respect mathematics and therefore it is easy to teach it, whereas post-elementary teachers were attracted to the structure of the work week which is suitable for raising children. While there are many studies in the literature pertaining to why an individual may choose the teaching profession in general, there are hardly any studies that focus on teaching mathematics in particular.