What deters people from teaching? An analysis of Chinese and Australian university students’ career decision-making

Teacher shortages have dominated public and policy discourse in many countries, yet little is known about why university students who do not enter teacher education actively rule out teaching as a career. This study examines the factors that deter university students from pursuing teaching and the extent to which these factors affect them. Using original survey data from 258 Chinese and 152 Australian non-education major university students, we analyse the impact of six factors related to teacher prestige: salary, public image, social respect, government attention, career prospects, and entry requirements. Correlation and regression analyses reveal that low teacher salaries, perceived low government attention to the profession, and an unfavourable public image of teachers are common deterrents to teaching in both countries, although their relative impact differs. Perceived low social respect significantly deterred Australian students from pursuing teaching careers but not Chinese students, while limited career prospects deterred Chinese students but not their Australian counterparts. We also found that raising the entry requirement for teacher education reduces students’ unwillingness to teach in both contexts. These findings highlight the importance of understanding deterrence, rather than attraction alone, and offer insights for policy strategies aimed at enhancing the status and attractiveness of the teaching profession.