Hopes and fears of teacher candidates concerning the teaching profession

Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Teacher Training Department, 34 Calea Dumbrăvii 550324 Sibiu, Romania

^* Corresponding author: daniela.cretu@ulbsibiu.ro

Abstract

Romanian university students have the opportunity to enroll in the education program for the teaching profession starting with their first year at the university. Most undergraduates choose the education program for the teaching profession, although some of them do not see themselves as teachers. The schooling experiences, the motivation for entering the teacher education programs, the initial teacher education experiences and their future plans can be important factors in considering the perspective of becoming a teacher or not. Focused on a future orientation, the goal of this study was to investigate teacher education candidates’ hopes and fears concerning a possible career as teacher. Using an open-ended questionnaire as a research tool, a qualitative analysis was made on the hopes and fears expressed by the teacher candidates. Our findings showed different categories of hopes and fears and generated an enriched understanding of teacher candidates’ views on this subject. The study can be a valuable support for teacher educators preoccupied to understand teacher candidates’ perceptions and to assist them in getting closer to their ideals by improving the education program.