What Draws Them In: A Qualitative Examination of Teaching Motivations Using the FIT-Choice Framework

Understanding what draws individuals to teaching is critical for effective recruitment in an era of teacher shortages. While research has extensively documented motivations using closed-ended surveys, less is known about what highly committed preservice teachers spontaneously articulate when given open-ended opportunities to express both their reasons for choosing teaching and the benefits they anticipate in the profession. This study used qualitative content analysis to examine open-ended responses from 79 early-program elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) who planned to teach for their entire careers, interpreting the motivations they articulated for choosing teaching and the benefits they anticipated in the profession through the FIT-Choice (Factors Influencing Teaching Choice) framework grounded in expectancy-value theory. Findings revealed that social utility values dominated spontaneous responses, with strong intrinsic career value. This paper provides evidence-based guidance for teacher recruitment and preparation programs.