Perceptions of Prospective Teachers towards Teaching Profession

Mlay, Upendo E. (2015) Perceptions of Prospective Teachers towards Teaching Profession. Masters thesis, The Open University Of Tanzania.

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Abstract

The fundamental purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of prospective teachers towards teaching profession. The study employed a case study research design. Moreover, a qualitative approach was used in this study. Purposive and simple random sampling procedures were used to sample the respondents. The study consisted of 50 respondents among whom ten (10) were experienced teachers, ten (10) people around Korogwe Teachers College and thirty (30) were prospective teachers. Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. Findings revealed that teaching profession is perceived negatively; that is teaching is for those who failed their examinations, teaching is a job of low class compared to other professions like doctor, law, and medicine, also teaching is taken as the last resort after someone fail to get qualification to join other professions like doctor, medicine and engineering. The findings also indicated that teaching is a stepping stone to other careers. Based on the findings, the study recommends that policy makers should make sure that they improve school context where teachers were used to work in order to retain teachers and increase students’ academic performance in schools. Similarly, the government of Tanzania should improve teachers living and working conditions in order to retain more teachers to their schools.

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