The factors influencing the process of deciding whether to become a computer science teacher

Dobiáš, Václav (author), Šimandl, Václav (author), Kouřimský, Martin (author)

Choosing a future profession is an important step in life, and the decision to become a teacher is widely discussed in the literature. However, pre-service computer science teachers hold a unique position, as they are highly employable in the information technology job market, and this may have an impact on the decision to choose teaching as a career. The present research aims to clarify the decision-making process of becoming a computer science teacher and the factors that influence it. The qualitative research inspired by the constructivist grounded theory involved semi-structured interviews with 18 first-year pre-service computer science teachers. Through a questionnaire developed for this sample, the findings from the qualitative research were quantitatively verified on 69 respondents. The key choice is whether to become a teacher. Pre-service teachers are motivated by external factors (length of holidays, job stability, flexibility and salary) and the desire to work with children. In contrast, they are demotivated by the negatives of being a teacher, particularly by concerns about pupils (especially their behaviour) and parents. After deciding to study teaching, pre-service teachers need to make a decision about their specialisation. This is influenced by the high school they attended, their relationship to computer science, their former teachers, strategic reasons (believing this specialisation to be an easy way of getting the degree or a job after graduation), gender stereotypes (especially among women), and their expectations about teacher education in computer science.

• Language: English
• Keywords: computer science teacher, pre-service teacher, deciding on a teaching career, computer science education
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 13-35
• Numbering: Vol. 15, no. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179550
• UDC: 373.32.016:78
• ISSN on article: 2232-2647
• COBISS.SI-ID: 264282883

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC-BY 4.0 je naveden na spletni strani revije (https://ojs.cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/about). (Datum opombe 17. 2. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 17.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: CEPS Journal: Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal = revija Centra za študij edukacijskih strategij
• Publisher: Pedagoška fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-2647
• COBISS.SI-ID: 254029824

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Dejavniki, ki vplivajo na odločitev za poklic učitelja računalništva

Abstract

Izbira poklica za svojo prihodnost je pomemben korak v življenju vsakega posameznika, odločitev za poklic učitelja pa je v literaturi široko obravnavana. Bodoči učitelji računalništva imajo pri tem edinstven položaj, saj so na trgu dela v informacijski tehnologiji visokozaposljivi, kar lahko vpliva na odločitev za poklic učitelja. Namen te raziskave je pojasniti proces odločanja za poklic učitelja računalništva in dejavnike, ki vplivajo nanj. Kvalitativna raziskava, ki je temeljila na konstruktivistični utemeljeni teoriji, je vključevala polstrukturirane intervjuje z 18 bodočimi učitelji računalništva v prvem letniku študija. Z vprašalnikom, razvitim za to skupino udeležencev, so bili izsledki kvalitativne raziskave kvantitativno potrjeni na 69 udeležencih. Ključna odločitev je, ali postati učitelj. Bodoče učitelje motivirajo zunanji dejavniki (dolžina počitnic, stabilnost zaposlitve, fleksibilnost in plača) in želja po delu z otroki. Nasprotno pa jih demotivirajo negativne strani učiteljskega poklica, zlasti skrbi v povezavi z učenci (predvsem njihovim vedenjem) in s starši. Ko izberejo izobraževalno smer študija, morajo sprejeti še odločitev o specializaciji, tj. predmetu, ki ga bodo poučevali. Na to vplivajo: srednja šola, ki so jo obiskovali, njihov odnos do računalništva, njihovi nekdanji učitelji, strateški razlogi (prepričanje, da je ta specializacija lahek način za pridobitev diplome ali zaposlitve po diplomi), spolni stereotipi (zlasti med ženskami) in njihova pričakovanja glede izobraževanja učiteljev računalništva.

• Keywords: učitelj računalništva, bodoči učitelj, odločitev za poklic učitelja, računalniško izobraževanje, računalniški pouk, strokovnost, učitelji