Vocational Teacher’s Career as a Second Profession and Factors Determining Its Choice

Abstract

There is an increasing focus on the so-called hybrid teacher, at the European level. This teacher can alternatively work in a vocational school and a business. It is highly believed that this would help to solve both the aging of VET teachers and the quality of VET. The factors determining the choice of a VET teacher as a second career as well as perceptions of the participants’ former occupation were examined in this research using respectively the FIT-Choice and the PPO scales. The survey involved 114 VET teachers from 33 VET institutions of the country. The results revealed the determinants of VET teachers’ career choice, the most important of which are the high requirements of the teaching profession, the willingness to work with young people, and the influence of former teachers. The analysis of the relations between the perception of prior occupations and these determinants showed that social significance of prior occupation, strong interest in the subject and teaching, as well as workplace training self-efficacy facilitates the transition from business to vocational training. The results are discussed taking to similar studies conducted in other countries using the same measuring instruments.