Linking demographic variables to motivation: investigating the motivation to choose teaching among Arab and Jewish students in Israel

The purpose of this paper is to explore the kinds of motivation driving Arab and Jewish students in Israel to choose teaching as a career. This study addressed several issues that have been largely overlooked in previous research such as the focus on Content Value motives (the motivation to teach specific subjects) as well as linking demographic variables to motivational factors, particularly cultural diversity and prior pedagogical experience. The present study yielded three central findings: the importance of Content Value motives; similar motivational patterns have been found between the two sectors despite demographic differences between them; prior teaching experience has been found to have an effect on the kinds of motivations for choosing teaching as career. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of the present study on teacher preparation programs and on future research on the motivation to choose teaching as a career especially in culturally diverse educational contexts.