Explorando las motivaciones de los futuros docentes de Educación Primaria en la elección de sus estudios

Faced with an identity crisis where the teaching profession has been undervalued over time, it is time to reconsider the reasons that encourage students to become future teachers. The aim of this study is to analyse the factors that determined their career choice. Thirty-eight autobiographies were selected, taking into account the depth of the students’ reflections. The methodology used was the analysis of autobiographical narratives through “Grounded Theory”. The results differentiated between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Among the first ones were identified: their commitment to education, their interest in working with children and contributing to their personal life project, and the moral rewards linked to this professional activity; among the extrinsic motivations, good working conditions, or extended holiday time were highlighted. Likewise, the impact of parents and family teachers, their admiration for some teachers who had or volunteer experiences during their secondary school studies were also factors that contributed to this choice. This research advances towards a better understanding of the preservice teacher’s professional identity. Faced with an identity crisis where the teaching profession has been undervalued over time, it is time to reconsider the reasons that encourage students to become future teachers. The aim of this study is to analyse the factors that determined their career choice. Thirty-eight autobiographies were selected, taking into account the depth of the students’ reflections. The methodology used was the analysis of autobiographical narratives through “Grounded Theory”. The results differentiated between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Among the first ones were identified: their commitment to education, their interest in working with children and contributing to their personal life project, and the moral rewards linked to this professional activity; among the extrinsic motivations, good working conditions, or extended holiday time were highlighted. Likewise, the impact of parents and family teachers, their admiration for some teachers who had or volunteer experiences during their secondary school studies were also factors that contributed to this choice. This research advances towards a better understanding of the preservice teacher’s professional identity.Inmersos en una crisis identitaria en la que la profesión docente ha sido devaluada con el paso del tiempo, es momento de replantear las razones que motivan a los aspirantes a maestro a convertirse en futuros docentes. La finalidad de este estudio es analizar los factores que determinaron su elección profesional. Se seleccionaron 38 autobiografías, atendiendo a la profundidad de las reflexiones de los estudiantes. Se utilizó la metodología de análisis de relatos autobiográficos a través de la “teoría fundamentada”. Los resultados mostraron motivaciones intrínsecas y extrínsecas. Entre las primeras se identificaron las siguientes: el sentido de compromiso de la educación, y el interés para trabajar con niños y contribuir a desarrollar su proyecto personal de vida y las recompensas morales ligadas a esta actividad profesional; entre las motivaciones extrínsecas se destacaron las buenas condiciones laborales y el amplio tiempo de vacaciones, así como la influencia de padres y familiares maestros, la admiración por algunos profesores que tuvieron y experiencias de voluntariado durante sus estudios de secundaria. Este estudio avanza hacia un mejor entendimiento de la identidad profesional de los aspirantes a convertirse en maestros de educación primaria