Abstract:

The decision to pursue a career in teaching is a multifaceted process influenced by various intrinsic, extrinsic, altruistic, and environmental factors. This study aims to empirically assess the perceived impact of these factors on the career choices of pre-service kindergarten teachers, with a particular focus on the differential influence of parental involvement contingent upon parenting style.

Data were collected from 141 female pre-service kindergarten teacher students enrolled in a teacher-trainee academic institution, with participants ages ranging from 19 to 46 years (M=26.88, SD=5.84).

For data collection, participants were asked to complete anonymous online questionnaires. These questionnaires included the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ; Buri, 1991) and a motivation scale developed by Katzir, Sagi, and Gilat (2004) specifically designed to assess motivational factors and attitudes toward the teaching profession.

Results indicate a hierarchy in the factors influencing career choice among participants, with bonding with children ranked highest, followed by educational impact, professional motives, socioeconomic security, and personal experiences. Notably, the influence of external agents, including schools and parents, ranked fifth among influencing factors.

Regarding parental influence, participants who perceived their parents as authoritative attributed greater significance to parental influence on their professional preferences compared to those perceiving their parents as non-authoritative. Additionally, within the authoritative parenting group, parental influence was perceived to surpass that of educators.

In conclusion, the findings underscore the importance of considering parental influence within the framework of authoritative parenting, highlighting its amplifying effect on parental significance in shaping descendants' teaching preferences. This insight underscores the need for educators and policymakers to acknowledge the role of parental influence, particularly within the context of parenting styles, in understanding and guiding career choices in education.

Keywords:

Kindergarten Teachers, Parenting, Authoritative Parenting, Motivation.