Abstract
Ideally, students in our primary and secondary schools have teachers who are
certified, know their discipline, and are committed to the profession. However, recent
trends reveal that between 25 and 40 percent of high school students are taught a
math or science class by an individual that has neither majored, minored or been
certified in the subject material. The evidence is particularly disconcerting for poor
or minority students who are even more likely to be taught math and science by
teachers with inadequate qualifications.
In an effort to improve our understanding of the choice to teach, I investigate
the role of the following in the choice to teach for recent baccalaureate recipients:
career values – economic incentives, a service orientation, and non-economic
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incentives – and college characteristics and services. I also examine certification and
academic measures, and family background and demographic characteristics as
important control variables. I examine these issues by utilizing data from
Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B), a nationally representative, longitudinal study of
individuals who completed a bachelor’s degree in 1992-93.
Overall, I find the choice to teach is not predicated by one’s service
orientation but is in fact largely and negatively influenced by expected economic
incentives in the profession. At the same time, it is clear that the choice to teach is
moderated by other factors, such as non-economic incentives and one’s college
environment. Results vary by gender and math/science qualifications. For those who
become math or science teachers, subject preparation, certification status and
demographic characteristics are indicative of early retention and commitment, though
career values are not.
