AN INVESTIGATION OF THE REASONS OF NEW TEACHERS FOR CHOOSING THE TEACHING PROFESSION

Motivation is key for future teachers to choose and stay on this career path. Therefore, it is important to examine teachers' reasons for choosing the profession. Taking the views of new teachers and pre-service teachers can contribute to a better future for the education system. This study was conducted to determine the reasons why new teachers choose the teaching profession and their expectations before they start teaching. The study was conducted using a phenomenological design from qualitative research methods. The participants consisted of 13 teachers in different branches from different schools affiliated to Ankara Provincial Directorate of National Education in the 2024-2025 academic year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers. Data were collected with an interview form. The interview form consists of research questions and demographic questions. The collected data were analyzed by content analysis technique and two themes were identified: “reasons for choosing the teaching profession” and “expectations from the teaching profession”. The reasons for choosing the teaching profession were found to be “personal reasons” and “external reasons”. Expectations from the teaching profession were found to be “professional expectations” and “individual expectations”. Various suggestions were made in line with the results obtained.