"Belief in Education and in Oneself" Cross-National Intrinsic Career and Study Choice Motives of Student Teachers in Brazil, Chile, Germany, and Japan

In light of the global teacher shortage (UNESCO, 2019), the question of the motives for choosing a career in teaching is also becoming increasingly relevant internationally. Previous studies emphasize the central role of intrinsic motives in this decision. This study explores the intrinsic motives of student teachers from four international university locations using biographical texts collected by means of online questionnaires. The data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis. The exploratory study shows that similar intrinsic career and study choice motives exist across countries and can be described in a differentiated way. Partial results suggest that 'belief in education' is a central motive, although this varies according to context. The influence of biographical experiences with one's own teachers and the resulting desire to do better also emerged as a universal motive for choosing teaching as a career.