A Career in Teaching: Comparing Views of Gifted and Talented Adolescents

Abstract

A key determinant of the quality of teachers graduating from teacher preparation programs is the applicant pool in these programs. Research suggests that gifted students are discouraged from entering the teaching profession. The views of gifted adolescents toward the teaching profession compared to other professions, and the perceived level of support from significant adults for choosing the teaching profession, were analyzed in this study. The views of gifted adolescents were obtained to aid in the design of structured career counseling programs for this population. Survey data to address the above objectives were obtained from three groups of gifted seventh and eighth graders and compared to “regular” students' responses. Top ranked occupations for the gifted groups were scientist or doctor. The regular students' top choices were doctor and lawyer with a scientist ranked low. All groups rated sales and teaching the lowest. A majority of the students indicated that significant adults would encourage or strongly encourage their choice of the teaching profession.