Why I became a chemistry teacher: identifying turning points in chemistry teacher narratives of their trajectories into teaching

ABSTRACT

Background

Currently there are international concerns over teacher recruitment and attrition rates, especially in mathematics and the physical sciences. Much has been written about the recruitment of student teachers and the reasons people give for going into teaching, but little on the broader context of these people’s lives and the complex influences on their career decisions.

Purpose

The narrative approach used in this study is a complement to larger scale quantitative studies into teacher recruitment as it seeks to consider the wider picture of a person’s life and, through a defended participant perspective, expose influences that may not have been obvious to the participants themselves. Sample: Eight current UK chemistry teachers.

Sample

Eight current UK chemistry teachers.

Design and methods

Stories of becoming teachers are told through interviews and these narratives examined to consider the key influences upon their becoming chemistry teachers. Two analytic lenses were used: inductive thematic analysis and deductive analysis considering psychoanalytical defences. These lenses were used to both exemplify and challenge each other, providing triangulation of interpretation to determine participants’ trajectories into chemistry teaching.

Results

Family background and interest in, and utility of, studying chemistry were found to influence career life decisions. Some participants experienced moments where their career trajectory changed towards teaching whereas others followed a smooth path towards this end. For two, changes in their relationship with chemistry resulted in a teaching career. Particularly influential appears to be prior teaching experience which led to changes of trajectory for half of the participants in this study.

Conclusion

The chemistry teachers’ relationship with the subject discipline and prior teaching experience were important in them entering the profession, whilst the influence of their own teachers is more nuanced than wider larger scale quantitative studies suggest. Findings suggest that increasing the opportunity for classroom experience for undergraduates may improve teacher recruitment.

KEYWORDS:

• Chemistry teaching
• recruitment
• stem
• narrative
• Nimier defences

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the chemistry teacher participants for giving their time and sharing their ‘chemistry teacher’ stories. Also Ralph Levinson for his guidance and support throughout this research. They also wish to thank the reviewers for their very helpful and detailed guidance to support the revision of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. A-Levels are advanced high school examinations sat in England and Wales which are used for University selection. Pupils usually study 3–5 subjects at advanced level.

2. GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education – national qualifications in England and Wales usually gained from examinations sat at age 16.

3. SAS is a UK undergraduate scheme providing classroom experience as a module contributing to the degree.

4. Student Ambassadors, visit schools encouraging STEM uptake and recruitment to universities