Teacher attrition is a severe, global problem (e.g. Admiraal, 2025; Vu & Nguyen, 2025), but so far little research has been conducted from the perspective of pre-service teachers (PSTs) regarding their doubts or commitment to the teaching profession (e.g., Wang et al., 2021). Roberts (2012) stated over a decade ago that initial teacher training attrition and persistence are under-researched and under-theorized. This study focuses on Finnish and Austrian PSTs’ differing commitments to a teaching career. We present them through three cases from both countries, which are further analyzed using Kelchtermans’s (2017) framework of teacher attrition and retention as an educational issue, encompassing four distinct dimensions, which are: 1) agency; 2) meaningful interactions; 3) ethical, moral, or political dimensions; and 4) interpretive negotiations. The empirical data consist of transcribed qualitative thematic interviews with 13 Austrian and 12 Finnish PSTs carried out yearly during their studies. The longitudinal research material consists of annual interviews with 25 pre-service teachers, in which three types of orientations (Pop & Turner, 2009) toward teaching were identified: 1) fully committed, 2) conflicting commitment, and 3) career change. The results are presented in a two-dimensional way: firstly, we present one example case from each country according to the commitment category. Secondly, within each of the cases we show how the Kelchtermans’s (2017) dimensions appear in these PSTs’ stories, and how the commitment does (not) change longitudinally. We can summarize the main findings of this study into two points. First, PSTs’ commitments differ during the years of their TE studies: the commitment can strengthen because of the studies, fluctuate, or even diminish. The longitudinal data allowed us to see how the degree of commitment changed during the years. Second, Kelchtermans’s (2017) dimensions related to attrition are factors in the fluctuating commitment. The dimensions illustrate how personal and professional relationships, identity negotiations, values and policies, and working conditions may affect PSTs’ intentions to enter teaching. As Clandinin et al. (2015) argue, attrition process might begin long before it happens. Thus, it is important to detect the reasons for PSTs’ doubts and provide support early as possible. We found out that applying Kelchtermans’s (2017) theory to empirical data fits and is useful in international and comparative studies. The methodology of this study thus provides a model for future research in different TE contexts.

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