Just a Teacher: An Analysis of the Perceptions of Entering the Teaching Occupation After Graduating from a Selective Institution

Abstract

This thesis questions the perceptions on the teaching occupation and its connection with graduates from selective institutions. The dataset examines graduates who gained teaching certification from selective institutions. Using the data, I question whether students from STEM majors are more likely than students from other majors to forego teaching for more financially successful opportunities. Interviews were completed with teachers and administrators of teacher preparation programs to gain knowledge about the stigma of becoming a teacher and what individuals should be recruited into the classroom. Through my quantitative and qualitative data, I found evidence of negative perceptions related to the teaching occupation. However, my data showed STEM majors who gained teaching certification were just as likely, if not more, to pursue the teacher occupation after graduation. To attract the most capable individuals into this impactful profession the negative perception needs to be addressed and discussed in order to be diffused.