Ambivalent journey: Teacher career paths in Oman

David W. Chapman, Thuwayba Al-Barwani, Fathiya Al Mawali, Elizabeth Green

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study investigated the career paths of 625 university graduates who prepared to be secondary school teachers in Oman, their assessment of their current work situation, and the extent to which their initial commitment to teaching was related to their subsequent career satisfaction and intention to remain in teaching. While nearly all graduates entered teaching, their decision was marked by ambivalence. Nearly half of the graduates reported being only somewhat or not at all committed to teaching as a career when they graduated. It also appears that initial commitment to teaching operates as an important lens through which teachers view their subsequent careers. Those initially more committed to teaching were more likely to be satisfied with the progress they made in their career, more likely to think that their current teaching position offered them opportunities for advancement, and more likely to want to remain in teaching than were graduates who had a lower initial commitment to teaching. The authors discuss both the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)387-403
Number of pages17
JournalInternational Review of Education
Volume58
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2012

Keywords

  • Career paths
  • Middle East
  • Oman
  • Teacher retention
  • Teachers

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education

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