Teaching as a critical pathway to university for students from 'disadvantaged' backgrounds

The under-representation of students from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds pursuing careers that require a university education has been identified as a significant problem in Australia. However, teaching remains a career that... [ view full abstract ]

The under-representation of students from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds pursuing careers that require a university education has been identified as a significant problem in Australia. However, teaching remains a career that attracts students from a range of backgrounds, including those for whom university might have seemed out of reach (McQueen, 2012). Drawing on data from the first three years (2012 – 2014) of a mixed method longitudinal study of over 5900 students in Years 3 – 11 in New South Wales public schools, which explores the career aspirations of young people, we investigate the views of those students who signal interest in becoming teachers. These data enable us to identify the proportion of students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds who choose teaching, and better ascertain the factors influencing them to do so. We focus on what attracts these students to the profession and what they know about how to pursue it. In doing so, we contribute to a more developed understanding of this trend, and raise significant questions pertaining to the way in which academic institutions engage with prospective preservice teachers from a range of backgrounds.