Career Intentions of Higher Education Teaching Staff
the Role of Personal Factors and Subjective Norms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37886/Keywords:
academic staff, career intention, personality factors, subjective norms, higher educationAbstract
Research Question: How do personality factors, subjective norms, and perceived competence influence the career intentions of academic staff in higher education?
Purpose: The study aims to analyze the attitudes of academic staff toward pedagogical careers, their perceived social support, and their future career preferences.
Method: The research employs a quantitative approach. Data were collected via an online survey among 206 academic staff members within the Slovenian higher education landscape. Established measurement scales were used to assess personality factors, subjective norms, and career intentions. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, one-sample t-tests, paired-samples t-tests, and chi-square tests.
Results: The findings indicate that academic staff exhibit a high degree of positive attitude toward pedagogical careers, intrinsic job satisfaction, and perceived competence. Subjective norms are highly supportive, particularly from immediate family members. Intrinsic job satisfaction is statistically significantly higher than the perceived extrinsic attractiveness of a pedagogical career. Most respondents identify pedagogical work in a public higher education institution as their primary career choice.
Organization: The findings contribute to the understanding of career stability among academic staff and the importance of intrinsic motivation for the sustainable development of higher education institutions.
Society: The research highlights the significance of supporting pedagogical work as a socially critical profession and emphasizes the need to create a stable and stimulating academic environment.
Originality: The paper provides a holistic integration of personality factors, subjective norms, and career intentions within the context of the Slovenian higher education system.
Limitations / Future Research: The study is based on self-reporting and a convenience sample; future research could incorporate longitudinal approaches and cross-country comparisons.
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