The Effect of History Teachers on Students' Career Choices

This study investigates the methodological culture of history teaching through the perspectives of history teacher trainees at J. Selye University in Slovakia. The research aims to identify the teaching methods students encountered during their secondary history education and to examine who most influenced their decision to pursue a teaching career. Based on responses from 83 participants, 58% indicated that a former history teacher played a significant role in their career choice. Statistical analysis confirmed that those influenced by history teachers had experienced a more diverse set of instructional methods during their high school years. Additionally, 69% of participants expressed a preference for applying non-frontal teaching methods in their future careers, with this intention being significantly more pronounced among master’s students (93%) compared to bachelor’s students (55%). These findings suggest that both the influence of inspiring teachers and university training contribute to a shift toward a more collaborative and student-centred methodology in history education. The results underscore the importance of diverse, interactive teaching strategies in fostering key student competencies and potentially transforming the pedagogical culture of history teaching soon.