The teacher shortage is a global challenge, which is particularly noticeable in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects (EU Commission, 2020). It negatively affects students' learning and achievements, especially in poverty areas (Dolton, 2020). Thus, it negatively affects quality and equity in education, a goal that the European Council set for 2030 (European Council, 2021).
Recruiting career changing professionals can be a valuable means to reduce the teacher shortage. Career-changing STEM teachers bring industry experience and contemporary knowledge. They provide students with relatable role models who have navigated STEM careers (Dos Santos, 2021). Furthermore, their mere presence can contribute to diversifying the education system since they often represent populations that typically do not pursue a teaching career - high achieving males (Ruitenburg & Tigchelaar, 2021).
In view of the severity of the teacher shortage, and the potential contribution of career-changing STEM teachers, retaining them within the education system has utmost importance. The aim of the current study was to explore how career-changing STEM teachers view their experiences within the education system, what keeps them motivated throughout their career, and what demotivating experiences do they encounter, in two different national contexts: Germany and Israel.
The theoretical framework of this study is FIT (Factors that Influence Teaching) Choice Model (Fray & Gore, 2018). This model identifies eight types of factors that influence the choice of teaching as a career: 1) personal experiences and background characteristics, 2) socio-cultural factors, such as teacher’ status within the community, 3) self-image – the subjective beliefs about the ability to become a ‘good’ teacher and its congruence with other values, 4) intrinsic interest in teaching, 5) effort and resources invested in teaching, 6) personal utility, such as job security 7) altruistic motivation, and 8) alternative occupational options. This model, which was extensively studied in multiple countries, is relevant throughout teachers' professional trajectories, since at each point in time they may consider whether to stay, leave or return to the teaching profession.
Career-changers’ decision to become teachers ensues from factors that ‘push’ them to leave their previous profession, such as job cuts or job fatigue, and factors that ‘pull’ them to teaching (Chambers, 2002). Altruistic motives are stronger than utilitarian ones, particularly in countries where teachers’ status is low. However, adverse work conditions and inability to maintain their lifestyle drive attrition (Darling-Hammond & Podolsky 2019; Hogg et al., 2023).
As they enter the profession, career-changing STEM professionals, like other beginning teachers, need substantial preparation and support (Hogg et al., 2023). However, they are more vulnerable to the ‘reality shock’ because of unrealistically high expectations of themselves as teachers, based on their previous experience in difficult and competitive careers. Moreover, they may also have trouble adapting to school bureaucracy and management style, which are very different from that in the industry. These could alienate their principal and colleagues, who may react by withholding professional, emotional and social support. Students’ misbehavior and parents’ lack of respect exacerbate career-changing teachers’ isolation (Hogg et al., 2023). Therefore, these teachers require special attention during their induction.
The motivation of career-changing teachers at later stages of their professional trajectories is understudied (Ponnock et al., 2018). From a theoretical perspective, this study aimed to fill this gap by adding knowledge about changes in career-changing STEM teachers’ motivation throughout their career, and how they are related to different national policy contexts. From a practical point of view, it can inform policymakers on ways to improve the retention of those teachers.

Participants: Thirty career-changing teachers who teach either math or computer sciences in secondary and vocational schools: 15 in Germany and 15 in Israel. 21 participants (13 in Germany and 8 in Israel) are male. In each country, 5 participants had 1-3 years of experience, 5 had 4-6 years and 5 have been teaching for 7 or more years. The participants were purposely sampled to represent different work contexts: comprehensive (Grade 7 to 12), upper secondary (Grade 10 to 12) and vocational schools; and a wide array of classes: special education, low achieving students and selective classes for outstanding students. Ethical considerations: After receiving the institutional ethics committee permission we contacted the participants. In Germany, the authors received help from former students and school principals in recruiting participants. In Israel, the authors asked the administrative unit that assists career-changing STEM teachers to distribute an invitation to be interviewed among relevant teachers and provide us with the contact details of those who accepted. Interviews: This qualitative study aims to explore participants’ subjective perspectives of their professional trajectories as teachers: the challenges they encountered, those they still face, how well they were prepared for those challenges, what keeps them motivated and what might push them to quit, what roles they filled or plan to fill, and whether they plan to continue teaching in the next few years. The interviews were approximately one hour each. Data analysis: Kuckartz’ (2014) thematic analysis method was used. First, a thorough reading and initial coding of the transcripts were performed. The authors in each country coded the interviews separately, and then met to consensually devise a system of codes. The coded units’ size varied from a single clause to several sentences that conveyed a single idea. The codes were derived inductively from the data, as well as deductively from the research literature. As the coding progressed, codes changed and then stabilized, expressing similar meanings across interviews. After the first round of coding was completed, the German and Israeli researchers met to form a shared system of codes. Then, a second round was conducted in which similarities and differences between teachers with different amounts of teaching experience were noted. These formed a basis for the themes that may account for career-changing STEM teachers’ motivation throughout their professional trajectory.

Beginning career-changing STEM teachers encounter similar challenges to those of other beginning teachers: an unexpected heavy workload, students’ misbehavior and their lack of motivation. Inadequate pre-service preparation, as well as a low level of support from the principal or the mentor teacher exacerbate beginning teachers’ stress (Räsänen et al., 2020). Slow and indifferent bureaucratic conduct harms teachers’ salaries and is perceived as deterring and offensive (Darling-Hammond & Podolsky 2019). As they gain more experience, career-changing STEM teachers describe themselves as being intrinsically motivated to teach, and as autonomous teachers who sometimes even devise their own curricula. They often fill the role of subject coordinators within their schools, but are not interested in administrative positions (such as a principal’s role). Career-changing STEM teachers view their relationships with their students as the most significant motivating factor, unlike other secondary school teachers who view themselves mainly as content specialists (Ponnock et al., 2018). They are highly motivated by their students’ excitement and achievements, as well as by the appreciation and gratitude of their students’ parents. Successfully effecting a positive change in challenging students’ behaviors is particularly meaningful to them. This is in contrast with many teachers who are continuously challenged by students' misbehavior (Räsänen et al., 2020). Nonetheless, experienced career-changing STEM teachers need the principal’s support of their autonomy and a recognition of their unique contribution (Ruitenburg & Tigchelaar, 2021). Similar to other teachers, low wages continue to be a demotivating factor. Participants believe that this also hinders the recruitment of additional STEM teachers. These findings emphasize the significance of teachers’ wages, autonomy, and the quality of their relationships with their students as motivating or demotivating factors, and the importance of providing teachers with adequate resources to address students’ needs.

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