Eric Santosa (1), Nurul Ulfatin (2), Imron Arifin (3)
General Background: Teaching career decisions among education students develop through interactions between professional expectations, personal interests, and practical educational experiences. Specific Background: Teaching assistance programs expose prospective teachers to classroom responsibilities, student interactions, administrative demands, and school environments that inform their professional aspirations. Knowledge Gap: Previous research has primarily examined teaching interests and career decisions quantitatively, leaving the subjective processes underlying career reorientation insufficiently understood. Aims: This study explores how education students interpret teaching assistance experiences in relation to their teaching interests and career orientations. An interpretative phenomenological approach was employed through semi-structured interviews with eight students, supported by field notes and reflective documents. Results: Four experiential themes emerged: confronting professional realities, interpreting student interactions, negotiating tensions between teaching aspirations and school systems, and reconsidering career orientations. Three career pathways were identified: commitment to formal teaching (two participants), diversification into education-related professions (four participants), and transition away from formal teaching (two participants). Novelty: The study identifies distinct career trajectories by connecting students' interpretations of teaching experiences with evolving professional identities and career preferences. Implications: Teaching assistance programs should incorporate structured reflection, mentoring, and career guidance to accommodate diverse professional aspirations beyond conventional classroom teaching.
Highlights:
Keywords: Teaching Assistance, Career Pathways, Education Students, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Teaching Career Orientation
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