Preparing Future Teachers in Indonesia: Motives of Science and Non-Science Student Teachers for Entering into Teacher Education Programs

The purpose of this current study was to examine the undocumented motives of the first-year science and non-science student teachers from seven different undergraduate teacher education programs in one public university, Jambi, Indonesia. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. A total of 593 completed questionnaires received from participants who enrolled in seven different undergraduate teacher education programs (biology, chemistry, economics English, history, mathematics, and physics education programs). Interview data were obtained from eighteen participants who were willing to be interviewed. The frequency of each statement was computed and expressed as percentage of its total score while interview data were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and carefully analysed. Our findings indicated that the first-year student teachers’ interpretations of their motives for entering teacher education programs were quantitatively and qualitatively interwoven among altruistic, intrinsic, and extrinsic motives across participants. Policy implications are also discussed.