Abstract:

A brief look in the Romanian media of the last years reveals an unattractive image of the teachers. This profession also seems to look unattractive for the college students. The aims of this study are: 1). to offer a closer look on the students' motivation for choosing a career in teaching and to analyze how this motivation is influenced by media communication and social stereotypes; 2) to compare opinions about the teaching profession between the high school students, post-graduate students, pre-service teachers and in-service teachers. A questionnaire has been used as an instrument of investigation, addressing the subjects' perceptions about the teaching career, their motivation to choose teaching as a profession and their experiences of being teachers. The questionnaire is constructed in a multidimensional manner, investigating the following dimensions: social influences, social perceptions on the teaching profession and self-perceptions about the relevant competencies, personal utility and social utility value of the profession, internal, social and economical motivating factors. The results are discussed in relation with the expectancy-value theory. Potential applications for enhancing motivation and involvement of pre-service and in-service teachers are also explored.