In this qualitative narrative research, we investigate the motivations behind choosing teaching as a career among Japanese, Ethiopian, and Finnish students. Understanding these motivations is significant because they are often linked to job satisfaction and commitment to the profession. The data were collected from 26 Japanese, 63 Ethiopian, and 26 Finnish teacher-students. The participants provided short narratives detailing the reasons for pursuing a career in teaching. The data underwent thematic analysis and will be followed by narrative analysis. The initial thematic analysis revealed a variety of motivations for choosing teaching as a career, differing significantly across the countries studied. In Finland, the majority of the respondents, mentioned altruistic and intrinsic reasons, such as the calling to teach, personal fulfillment, a passion for education, and the joy of helping others learn and grow. For several Japanese participants, the importance of role models, including good teachers or parents in the profession, was a significant factor in their decisions. The aspiration to work with children also featured prominently in the motivations of Japanese students. Conversely, in Ethiopia, teaching was not the first career choice for most students. Several respondents indicated a preference for other careers but chose the teaching profession, for example, due to the geographical convenience of universities in their hometowns. This research shows that teaching position is differently valued in the countries we investigated, and teacher-students' motivation reflects these values. Discussion on this topic will continue in this research.

Authors:
Kati Keski-Mäenpää, Jyväskylä University & Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland
Megumi Honjo, Kanazawa University, Japan
Adula Bekele Hunde, Kotebe University of Education, Ethiopia

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Kati Keski-Mäenpää is a University lecturer at Jyväskylä University, Finland. Her main interests are action research, global education and child-centered pedagogy.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kati-keski-m%C3%A4enp%C3%A4%C3%A4-0b869465/

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