Can the concept of the protean career help us to understand millennial pre-service teacher retention challenges? A study of two pre-service teachers' career pathways in England. Issue 3 (26th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parfitt, Anne
• Is Part Of: Journal of education for teaching. Volume 46:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 324
• Page End: 335
• Publication Date: 2020-05-26
• Subjects: Protean career -- pre-service teachers -- capabilities analysis -- Millennials; Teachers -- Training of -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 370.71
• DOI: 10.1080/02607476.2020.1733403
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0260-7476

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The career pathways of two pre-service teachers on the point of entering the school workforce were investigated to inform debates on teacher retention. Narrative data were analysed to explore the orientations of two Millennials completing a university-led initial teacher education programme. The protean career concept sheds light on a mindset regarding career pathways that is substantially different to that espoused by earlier generations of teachers, for whom a working life carried out within the profession could have been a realistic proposition. However, this study demonstrated that the concept cannot be applied universally to a cohort. When considering the two case study participants' narratives, it was necessary to employ elements of a capabilities analysis approach to explore their distinct outcomes after they had initially pursued their goal of 'making a difference' and realised that they were unlikely to achieve this through teaching.