Work

Black Undergraduates’ Perceptions of the Costs and Benefits of K-12 Teaching

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article examines how 15 Black undergraduates at a public, flagship university in the U.S. perceived the costs and benefits of pursuing a K-12 teaching career. Participants expressed an interest in teaching but were pursuing non-education majors. Our research is based on a secondary analysis of their focus group interview data, drawn from a larger mixed-methods study, and is guided by the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) scale, cost–benefit theory, and the concept of structural racism. Challenging racial inequality and supporting Black youth and communities was important in participants’ career decisions, and they valued K-12 teaching as a means to contribute to these goals. However, their racialized experiences shaped their perceptions that the costs of K-12 teaching outweighed its benefits and led them to reject this profession. We offer suggestions for research on Black youths’ perceptions of teaching as a career choice and strategies for recruiting them into the profession.

Source: Youth

DOI: 10.3390/youth5040121

Authors: Tara Marie Brown, Tifanee Michele McCaskill, Carla Dee Blackwell

Institutions: University of Maryland, College Park, Baltimore City Community College

Language: English

Topic: Teacher Professional Development and Motivation

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207