Socioeconomic profile and teaching expectations of undergraduate students of Biological Sciences

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14244/19827199892

Choosing a degree course involves many factors, and young people are often not prepared for this choice, causing frustration and dropouts. In this context, this study focused on certain socioeconomic profiles and teaching expectations of students entering the Biological Sciences undergraduate course. Structured questionnaires, containing open and closed questions, were distributed in order to learn more about the students’ socioeconomic profile and their reasons for choosing the course, and to analyze their expectations regarding future teaching. We conclude that the students’ profile in the first period of the Biological Sciences course in a private higher education institution consists mostly of lower-middle class women who have attended public high school, and whose parents do not present higher levels of education. Teaching is deprecated by approximately half of these students because they do not identify with the profile of a teacher. Regarding the students who intend to teach, almost all of them would like to teach classes in a higher education institution instead of in elementary and high schools.

Keywords: Teacher training, Professional choice, Professional identity.