University access profile of teachers in Spain

The training of those who have access to teaching studies is relevant due to the impact that teachers have on the performance of their students and on the quality of the educational system. In this context, the aim of this article is to describe the university access profile of Spanish teachers, using their pre-university academic performance as the main indicator, operationalized as the score in the common subjects of the university entrance exam. The profiles are analyzed according to the type of baccalaureate studied, the university degree chosen, and the autonomous community or city of origin, using descriptive statistics, contrast of means and the effect size of the differences and statistical power calculation, based on the data provided by the Sistema Integrado de Informaci??n Universitaria (SIIU) from 2014 to 2017 (N = 53818). In general, the average to access to university of the last four promotions of teachers is 5.782 and the 25.34% come from a STEM baccalaureate, frequently associated with higher averages in common tests, at the total sample and by communities, in general with small effect sizes. In addition, there are differences between degrees. Although results refer only to one of the multiples variables which impact to the teaching quality provide a current, comprehensive and clear overview of the academic profile of entry to teaching studies in Spain. The evidence found, despite it is not enough by itself, may be useful for decision-making about practice and educational policies related to the recruitment, selection and training of teachers, within the framework of what happens, internationally, in the most successful educational systems.