Chemistry students’ beliefs, educational experiences and perceptions of teaching as a future profession: A case study in Serbia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20450/mjcce.2025.2986Keywords:
chemistry education, students’ attitudes, teachers’ competenciesAbstract
Teaching is one of the most important professions. However, these days there is a significant decrease in enrolment in educational programs, especially in science subjects such as chemistry, physics, and mathematics. For this reason, studying chemistry students' perspectives is valuable. This study examines the beliefs of 57 chemistry students in Serbia. They were asked questions about experience with chemical experiments in schools, the unpopularity of chemistry and incentives for enrollment in chemistry studies, teachers' competencies and chemistry education subjects, advantages, disadvantages and opinions about the teaching profession. The study used a 20-question questionnaire, and participation was voluntary and completely anonymousThe results of the research show that in primary and secondary schools, the lack of laboratory exercises and the abstract nature of chemistrycontribute to the unpopularity of chemistry. Benefits gained after completing studies, such as increased salary and social standing, could improve enrollment in chemistry education programs.
References
Harutyunyan, М. Perception оf Teacher'с Profession:Looking Back And Ahead. Wisdom 2022, 3(23), 126-132, https://doi.org/10.24234/wisdom.v23i3.908
Maskit, D. Teachers’ attitudes toward pedagogical changes during various stages of professional development. Teach. Teac. Educ. 2011, 27, 851-860, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.01.009
Cristina-Corina, B., Valerica, A. Teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards professional activity. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci, 2012, 51, 167-171, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.08.139
Egwu, S. O. Attitude of Students towards Teaching Profession in Nigeria: Implications for Education Development, J. Educ. Prac., 2015, 29(8), 21-25
Purdul, J. N., Mose, R. K. An Investigation on the Societal Perception of Teaching as a Profession and an Occupation in Kenya, Int. J. Educ. Res., 2017, 5(8), 37-46
Fauziah, A., Kim, M., Aye, M., Hakizimana, V., Hur., J. Impact of the society’s perception on teachers’ professionalism, J. Edu. Learn., 2021, 15(4), 545-551 https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v15i4.20292
Richardson, P.W., Watt, H. M. G. Factors Influencing Teaching Choice: Why Do Future Teachers Choose the Career? In International Handbook of Teacher Education; Springer, Singapore, 2021; pp 275–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0369-1_8
Yu, X., An, M., Zhao, X. Development of preservice teachers’ competence beliefs, career values, and perceptions of teaching as a profession: A longitudinal study, Heliyon, 2023, 9(3), e13918, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13918
Struyven, K., Jacobs, K., Dochy, F. Why do they want to teach? The multiple reasons of different groups of students for undertaking teacher education, Eur. J. Psycho.l Educ., 2013, 28, 1007-1022, , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-012-0151-4
Smak, M., Walczak, D., The prestige of the teaching profession in the perception of teachers and former teachers, Edukacja: An Interdisciplinary Approach, 2017, 22-40, https://doi.org/10.24131/3724.170502
Derman, A. Özkan, E., Gödek Altuk, Y, Mülazimoğlu, I. An Investigation of Chemistry Student Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Teaching Profession According to Some Factors, Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Kırşehir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi (KEFAD), 2008, 9(2), 113-127
Erol, M., Çallıca, H., Aygün, M., Sezgin, G., Kavcar, N. Eğitim Fakültelerinin Yeniden Yapılandırılmasının Fizik Eğitimi Anabili Dalı Açısından Değerlendirilmesi. D.E.Ü. Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 2000, 12, 185-188.
van Griethuijsen, R. A. L. F., van Eijck, M. W., Haste, H., den Brok, P. J., Skinner, N. C., Mansour, N., Gencer, A. S., BouJaoude, S.. Global patterns in students’ views of science and interest in science. Res. Sci. Educ., 2015, 45(4), 581–603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-014-9438-6
Ma, H., Fulmer, G. W., Liang, L. L. Science teaching practices in junior secondary schools In Chinese Science Education in the 21st Century: Policy, Practice, and Research, Dordrecht, Springer, 2017, pp 85-100. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9864-8_4
Multiple Representations in Chemical Education, Vol. 4, . Gilbert, J. K., Treagust, D. F. , New York: Springer, 2009.
Saks, K., Soosaar, R. Ilves, H. The Students’ Perceptions and Attitudes to Teaching Profession, the Case of Estonia. In ICEEPSY 2016: Education and Educational Psychology, vol 16. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Future Academy, 2017, pp. 470-481 https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2016.11.48
Saks, K., Ilves, H. Teachers as Promoters of Teaching: Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Profession, The Case of Estonia. In ICEEPSY 2020: Education and Educational Psychology, vol 1. European Proceedings of International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology. European Publisher, 2020,141-153 https://doi.org/10.15405/epiceepsy.20111.13
Horvat, S., Popović, V., Rodić, D., Rončević, T. Analysis of the initial education of chemistry teachers and their attitudes towards teaching in the Republic of Serbia , J. Serb. Chem. Soc., 2023, 88(7–8), 793–810. https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC220822039H
Watt, H.M., Richardson, P.W., Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers, Learn. Instruct., 2008, 18(5), 408–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.06.002
Charalambos, A. Choosing the Teaching Profession: Teachers’ Perceptions and Factors Influencing their Choice to Join Teaching as Profession. J. Educ. Prac., 2017, 8(10), 219-233.
Flores, M.A., Niklasson, L. Why do student teachers enrol for a teaching degree? A study of teacher recruitment in Portugal and Sweden C, J. Educ. Teac.: Int. Res. Ped., 2014, 40(4), 328-343. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2014.929883
The status of teachers. Hall, D., Langton, B., New Zealand Teachers Council and Ministry of Education, 2006.
Student achievement through staff development. Joyce, B., Showers, B., Longman, New York, 2008.
Modern Methods of Training of Secondary School Teachers. Vashist, V. Sarup &Sons. H, New Delhi, 2002.
Просечне зараде по запосленом, март 2024. (Average earnings per employee, March 2024.) https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2024/Html/G20241135.html (accessed 2024 -09 -25).
Зараде запослених према делатности, нивоима квалификације и полу, септембар 2023. (Earnings of employees by activity, qualification levels and gender, September 2023) https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2024/Html/G20241099.html (accessed 2024 -09 -25)
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 2025-06-29 (2)
- 2025-05-28 (1)
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dušica Rodić, Saša Horvat, Ivana Bogdanović, Malina Popović, Tamara Rončević
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
