Addressing the Global Shortage of Qualified Math and Science Teachers

Strategic Insights -

A new study published in the Social Sciences and Humanities Open journal has identified the key factors influencing career aspirations among preservice teachers in mathematics and science. The research, conducted by a team of researchers from Cebu Technological University, highlights the importance of motivation, social influence, and professional identity in determining whether preservice teachers intend to pursue teaching careers in mathematics and science. The study's findings have significant implications for teacher education policy and programs aimed at strengthening aspirations, recruitment, and retention in these critical teaching professions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research identified motivation as a significant predictor of teaching career aspirations among preservice teachers in mathematics and science.
  • Career decidedness has a strong direct positive effect on the intention to pursue teaching among preservice teachers.
  • Preservice science teachers demonstrated stronger links between motivation, decisional self-efficacy, and career decidedness compared to their mathematics counterparts.
  • The study used covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) to examine the relationships between motivation, social influence, professional identity, and career aspirations among preservice teachers.
  • The research included data from 615 mathematics and science preservice teachers enrolled in teacher education institutions across the Visayas regions of the Philippines.
  • The researchers suggested that teacher education policy and programs should focus on strengthening aspirations, recruitment, and retention in mathematics and science teaching professions.
  • The study's findings have implications for teacher education policy and programs aimed at addressing the global shortage of qualified math and science teachers.
  • The research was conducted by a team of researchers from Cebu Technological University, including Christeodoflor Ramos, Mary Grace Villaflor, Masza Lyn Milano, Danica Kaye Hallarte, Gesselle Batucan, Roselyn Gonzales, and Gamaliel Gonzales.

Statistics:

  • The study included data from 615 preservice teachers in mathematics and science.
  • The researchers used CB-SEM to analyze the relationships between motivation, social influence, professional identity, and career aspirations.
  • The study revealed that motivation significantly predicts teaching career aspirations among preservice teachers in mathematics and science.
  • The researchers found that career decidedness has a strong direct positive effect on the intention to pursue teaching among preservice teachers.
  • Preservice science teachers demonstrated stronger links between motivation, decisional self-efficacy, and career decidedness compared to their mathematics counterparts (71% vs. 63%).

Sources:

  • "Aspirations of becoming a mathematics or a science teacher: A CB-SEM analysis of preservice teachers' self-ascribed identities" by Christeodoflor Ramos, et al., Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 2025,12():101898.