What are the most suitable subjects for high school graduates to study and who are the most suitable students for teacher training? At first sight these two questions do not seem to have much to do with each other. The first is focused on the individual’s motives and decisions, the second one on the perspective of the learning environment - in this case the university. But if we look at various methods and approaches German universities use to filter out potentially successful students they are highly interlinked. Most universities use self-assessment tools to support the high school graduates with making the right decision (see Köller et al. 2012). Usually these tools - like the Career Counseling for Teachers (CCT) - are based on different interest and personality scales like motivation, stability or frustration/stress tolerance. Additionally experiences in working with children are asked for in some of them. This score compared to a certain cut off value of the total scale shows if the individual is suitable to the teaching profession (if the individual’s score is above the cut off value) or not (if the individual’s score is below the cut off value). One of the main problems these assessment tools have is that they are not sufficiently predictive with regard to the students’ success at the university and with regard to be a good teacher after getting the university degree. Why is that so? Based on a biographical qualitative approach and the study of Maschke (2013) we will show that the quantitative approach underlying most self-assessment tools is neglecting on the one hand the complex biographical situation the graduates are in when making their decision at the end of their school time and on the other hand that not only personality traits are important variables influencing personal decisions but also variables have to be taken in to account which are interlinked for example with the question how the young people want to life their ideal life. And we will emphasize a third critical point: The biographical data we analyze show that in some cases the decision of becoming a student of teacher profession is not a decision in the terms stricter sense (like rational choice approaches postulate). Some teacher students study teacher profession not because they think they are suitable to their later job but because we are not self-confident to study the subject they are really in love with.

Köller, M., Klusmann, U., Retelsdorf, J., & Möller, J. (2012). Geeignet für den Lehrerberuf? Self-Assessments auf dem Prüfstand. [Suitable for the teaching profession? Self-assessments put to the test] Unterrichtswissenschaft, 40(2), 121–139. Maschke, S. (2013). Habitus unter Spannung - Bildungsmomente im Übergang: Eine Interview- und Fotoanalyse mit Lehramtsstudierenden. [Habitus under pressure - Transformative educational experiences during transitions: An analysis of interviews and photo self perfomances with students becoming a teacher] Edition Erziehungswissenschaft. Weinheim, Basel: Beltz Juventa.