- David, V. (2023). Second-Career Teachers: A Recruitment Pool with Specific Motivations? Recherches en éducation, (53). https://doi.org/10.4000/ree.12054
The growing challenges in attracting traditional candidates to teaching qualification exams, combined with an increase in applicants previously active in other professions, raise questions about the differentiated reasons driving individuals to join the teaching profession. Quantitative analysis reveals that certified secondary school teachers transitioning from other careers in the French education system exhibit lower levels of extrinsic motivation compared to their first-career counterparts. Furthermore, distinct factors influence the motivations of these two groups. Finally, second-career teachers emerge as a heterogeneous group in terms of motivations: analyses suggest that certain characteristics of their previous professional activity shape their perception of teaching as a potential career. These findings highlight the need to more broadly consider prior professional socialization as a key explanatory factor in the decision to pursue a teaching career.