Internationally there has been a concern for lack of teachers for many years (OECD, 2005).  In Norway, application to initial primary-teacher education has declined, and the need for more teachers surpasses the number of graduates expected in the coming years (Nordisk Ministerråd, 2008). Resent alarming calculations indicate that there will be a significant shortage of teachers upon 2030 (Gjefsen, Gunnes, & Stølen, 2014; Texmon, 2008).

Research on prospective teachers indicates that one fourth of the student teachers in four major universities in Norway are ambivalent regarding their future in teaching. They enter the PGCE course to have multiple options in the job marked (Roness & Smith, 2009). One-and-a-half year after completion of the teacher education, only 60 percent of the same cohort of student teachers works as teachers in the national school system (Roness, 2011). The last mentioned study suggests that ambivalence is one of the biggest challenges in teacher education. Korthagen & Vaslos (2005) argue for student teachers’ need for reflection. Referring to the so-called onion model they argue for the fact that student teachers should go deeper into the reflection process than behavior and competencies and focus on beliefs and identity. The inner core of the onion is called mission and focuses on why the student wants to become a teacher. According to the researchers this holistic approach to reflection has a potential to stimulate to an awareness of the emotional side of teaching and consequently a means to enhance professional development.

To try to avoid the previously mentioned ambivalence, teacher education at the University of Bergen has focused on motivation for teaching among the prospective teachers. 95 first year student teachers in a 5-year master program were asked to write their narratives about their motivation for becoming teachers. They were asked to reflect upon the question “Why I want to become a teacher”. The present paper will present results from these narratives related to the following research question: "What characterizes student teachers´ motivation for teaching when starting a five-year master subject-matter teacher education?" The results will be discussed in the light of previous research and motivational theories. We will also give an outline of the prospective teachers’ description of their role models.  

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