Motivations for Entering the Teaching Profession: Illuminating the Voices of Female Pre-Service Teachers on the U.S.-Mexico Border

Abstract

Teacher retention is a global problem, and why individuals choose the teaching profession can help sustain teacher motivation. This study surveyed 29 predominately Mexican American female students enrolled in the College of Education at a border university in South Texas. The participants were selected using convenience sampling from two courses taught by the researcher in the spring of 2024. A 15-question survey, including Likert scale and open-ended questions, was used to gather data. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers selected teaching as a profession for altruistic and intrinsic reasons. Participants' educational experiences, both positive and negative, impacted their decision to become educators. The concept of altruism emerged to describe the interdependency of altruistic and intrinsic motivations. The study underscores the importance of examining the educational experiences of minority women living along the U.S.-Mexico border to understand their aspirations and motivations to enter the teaching profession.