The Teaching Profession: Highly Valued and Respected?

Teachers play a vital role in our society by educating the next generation. But what about the recognition of teacher education students at universities? An IPN study examines this question.

Representative surveys indicate that the teaching profession is generally held in high regard by society. It is often mentioned alongside professions such as doctors and lawyers. Most people believe teachers bear a great deal of responsibility and have a demanding job. The overall picture is quite positive when viewed from a societal perspective.

High social standing, but lack of recognition

However, when teachers themselves are asked about their perception of the teaching profession’s social standing, a very different picture emerges. The OECD surveyed 31 member countries to determine if teachers feel valued by society. Only one in four teachers answered this question in the affirmative. What accounts for this discrepancy between public opinion and teachers’ perceived value?

When asked this question, people often point to the difference between how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. Some even speak of a “collective inferiority complex.” According to this view, the perceived lack of recognition is unfounded—rather, the supposed lack of appreciation is a carefully cultivated stereotype rather than a real problem.

The role of the media

But it’s not that simple. This is evident from a look at the media landscape and the coverage of teachers, which shapes both society’s perception of the profession and the teachers themselves. According to Focus magazine, teachers “enjoy life at the state’s expense”; the Bild blog ran a similar headline claiming that “lazy teachers live the good life”; and even the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung provocatively asked a few years ago: “How lazy are teachers?” Published by Knaur and reviewed by Der Spiegel as “a furious book,” Lotte Kühn’s *Lehrer-Hasser-Buch* (The Teacher-Hater Book) describes, according to the book jacket, *“our teachers as they really are: unprofessional, lazy, clueless about children, helpless, overwhelmed, and totally stressed.” * One can hardly imagine a similar book about other professions – a “Doctors-Hater Book” or a “Business Students-Hater Book”? Unlikely to sell.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during lockdowns and school closures, the topic of schools and teaching received significant media attention. Some media outlets engaged in constructive public discussions about the best ways to teach students despite school closures. But other media outlets were quick to criticize teachers, accusing them of lacking commitment during the pandemic. Studies, however, indicate that teachers had to cope with an increased workload during the pandemic and felt poorly represented and misunderstood. This led to additional psychological and emotional strain for teachers.

The role of the media

The appreciation of teachers begins as early as their undergraduate studies. How, then, are the people preparing for this important profession perceived? To explore this question, there is no getting around the “myth of negative selection.” This is because many stereotypes about teacher education students persist: they are said to be less performance-oriented, primarily extrinsically motivated, academically weaker, and less intelligent than their peers pursuing other academic goals. In reality, however, teacher education students demonstrate a comparable level of motivation.

A study by the IPN comparing teacher education students in STEM fields with students pursuing other degrees found no evidence of negative selection particularly in terms of differences in cognitive abilities or intelligence.

Although there is no negative selection among student teachers, they—much like qualified teachers—often experience negative portrayals in the media. They are frequently characterized in general terms as academic underachievers, as having average abilities, or as indecisive. Instructors also perceive the myth of negative selection and related media reports, which can—consciously or unconsciously—be reflected in their behavior toward teacher education students. Initial studies show that student teachers perceive this disparagement and feel less valued than their peers in specialized degree programs. This perception, in turn, can negatively impact their academic performance. Furthermore, perceived appreciation influences the sense of social integration and the consideration of potentially dropping out of the program. Given the existing shortage of teachers in mathematics and science subjects, this is an alarming finding.

Recognition in teach education programs

Below, we present the results of a study conducted at the IPN. Our aim was to establish whether there are evident individual and subject-specific differences in perceived appreciation among teacher education students, and to identify any correlations between perceived appreciation and aspects of well-being. We also investigated the extent to which perceived appreciation influences the intention to drop out of the program.

The study took into account both the gender of the students and their high school graduation scores. Participants were asked how satisfied they were with their studies overall. Their emotional exhaustion and their intention to drop out of their studies was also assessed.

Participants indicated the extent to which they feel valued in their subject-specific courses (e.g., “In the subject-specific courses in my major, X, the instructors make it clear that they consider me a capable student”). This question referred only to subject-specific courses, not to the courses in subject didactics, pedagogy, or educational science that teacher education students are also required to take. Participants' enthusiasm for the subjects they were studying was also assessed—this refers to enthusiasm for the subject matter itself, rather than teaching per se. Lastly, the students provided information on their satisfaction with subject-specific courses.

The descriptive results show that generally teacher education students do feel valued.

Further analyses provide deeper insight into the patterns of perceived appreciation. These analyses reveal that some of these differences can be attributed to individual student characteristics. For instance, male students and those who achieved higher grades at school report feeling more appreciated by their instructors.

However, the vast majority of these differences can be attributed to subject-specific factors. At subject level, it is clear that student teachers in STEM subjects feel significantly less valued. Furthermore, they tend to feel more valued when there are more students in their program whose goal is also to become teachers.

The fact that, in addition to the subject group, the composition of the student body in a given subject also appears to influence how valued students feel may be related to the instructors’ frame of reference. In subjects with a high percentage of teacher education students, the attitude toward this group tends to be more favorable. It is also conceivable that these subjects have a stronger connection to practical school content, causing teacher education students to feel more visible and valued than in subjects with a lower proportion of such students.

A key finding of the study is that perceived appreciation is closely linked to various aspects of student well-being, including satisfaction with their studies, emotional exhaustion, satisfaction with academic courses, and enthusiasm for their field of study. Furthermore, perceived appreciation also influenced students’ thoughts about dropping out of their program.

Conclusion

Teacher education students generally feel valued by their instructors in subject-specific courses. However, there are significant differences between the various subjects. The survey results show that appreciation in the STEM subjects is perceived as lower than in other disciplines—precisely in the subjects where the teacher shortages are most acute. Perceived appreciation also proved to be a relevant factor in the well-being of these students and their decisions to drop out of their studies.

Given the current teacher shortage and the possibility that prospective students may be put off by the public perception of teaching, it is in society’s interest to enhance the profession’s image. At the same time, a more positive public perception would also benefit current teachers, for example, by providing an additional source of support to help them cope with the stress of the demanding school day.

About the author:

Dr. Bastian Carstensen is a research scientist in the Department of Educational Science and Educational Psychology at the IPN and at the Department of Education Studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. A trained psychologist, he primarily researches issues related to the social and emotional competence and mental health of (prospective) teachers and students. He also focuses on supporting underperforming students and those facing significant educational risks.bcarstensen@leibniz-ipn.de

Further reading:

Klusmann, U., Aldrup, K., Roloff-Bruchmann, J., Carstensen, B., Wartenberg, G., Hansen, J., & Hanewinkel, R. (2023). Teachers’ emotional exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic: Levels, changes, and relations to pandemic-specific demands. Teaching and Teacher Education, 121, Article 103908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103908

Roloff Henoch, J., Klusmann, U., Lüdtke, O., & Trautwein, U. (2015). Who becomes a teacher? Challenging the “negative selection” hypothesis. Learning and Instruction, 36(April 2015), 46-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.11.005

Carstensen, B., Lindner, C., & Klusmann, U. (2024). Wahrgenommene Wertschätzung im Lehramtsstudium: Fachunterschiede und Effekte auf Wohlbefinden und Abbruchsintention. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 38(3), 181–194. https://doi.org/10.1024/1010-0652/a000337

Carstensen, B., Buts, M., & Klusmann, U. (2023). Die Effekte medialer Berichterstattung während der COVID-19-Pandemie auf (angehende) Lehrkräfte: Eine experimentelle Studie zum Erleben von Anerkennung und Metastereotypen. Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 70(3), 208-221. https://doi.org/10.2378/peu2023.art06d