Abstract:

The motivation for teaching is one of the conditions of success of the teaching activity. This construct is constituted at the intersection of a plurality of variables, which can be detected by some "information units". The present research explored the motivational variables in a group of 200 students attending to became teachers in qualifying courses at the University of Salento two years ago.

The motivational variables on which the survey was focused are the following:
a) Motivational variables related to professional identity;
b) Motivational variables related to the role;
c) Motivational variables connected to extrinsic elements (eg remuneration);
d) Motivational variables related to the type of subject taught.

The survey, which used a 23-item tool, explored each of the variables listed above through multiple choice questions and Likert scales and produced the following outputs:
a) a description of each of them through descriptive statistics indexes;
b) an exploration of the correlations (even partial and multiple) between the different variables and between the "information units" and the different variables;
c) the elaboration of motivation models, through exploratory factorial analysis, aimed at investigating the saturation of the different items on different factors, in order to make their interpretation.

The data emerged, in addition to allowing the elaboration of a synthesis framework of the professional profile of the teachers who are preparing to enter the school world, offers a reference point for identifying the training needs of the incoming training courses.

Keywords:

Professional identity, motivation, training needs, incoming training.