'Teaching could be a fantastic job but ...': three stories of student teacher withdrawal from initial teacher preparation programmes in England

• Published in: Teachers and teaching, theory and practice Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 111 - 129
• Main Authors: Chambers, Gary N., Hobson, Andrew J., Tracey, Louise
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.02.2010; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Persistence; career changers; Case Studies; dropout; Dropout Attitudes; Dropout Characteristics; Dropout Research; England; Etiology; Foreign Countries; initial teacher preparation; Interviews; Longitudinal Studies; Phenomenology; pre-service teacher education; Preservice Teacher Education; professional education; Student Teacher Attitudes; Student teachers; Studies; Teacher education; Teacher retention; Teaching (Occupation); United Kingdom (England); United Kingdom > UK; England
• ISSN: 1354-0602; 1470-1278
• DOI: 10.1080/13540600903475652

Retention in initial teacher preparation (ITP) and the teaching profession, in England and elsewhere, has been the subject of numerous articles in academic and professional journals. Whilst a number of common findings are beginning to emerge from research on this subject, notably on the causes of student teacher withdrawal, studies have tended to neglect the difficulties experienced by the individuals who have lived through the process of embarking upon and withdrawing from ITP programmes. Having conducted in-depth interviews, the authors attempt in this paper to understand the experiences, emotions and decisions of three people who committed themselves to ITP, invested much energy and time, but in the end withdrew. The reasons for their decision are numerous and complex. The impact on each individual was considerable. The experience was painful.