Choosing to Teach: Social class and progression onto teacher training in Yorkshire

My proposed research explores the relationship between social class and trainee teachers' decisions to teach and their choice of training route. Recent research into social class has moved away from occupational measures of stratification and into classification through grouping individuals with similar social networks, finances, hobbies, and interests. Therefore, this suggests that teachers are not a homogenous group confined to one particular social class. Furthermore, previous research suggests that social class has moved from the traditional classification of 'upper', 'middle' and 'working' class to an expansion and fragmentation of the middle class. Consequently, this research would explore this new model of social class and the decision-making processes of individuals from differing middle classes.

A case study approach to trainee teachers within Yorkshire is proposed. This location has a wide subsection of society: there are affluent areas such as York, Harrogate and North Leeds as well as the deprived and government labelled education opportunity areas of Bradford, Doncaster, and the North Yorkshire Coast.

Research question one: What social class are trainee teachers?

Previous literature which discusses the social class of trainee teachers, as well as the pupils they teach, uses the restricted dichotomy of middle-class and working-class. Teachers are represented within the cohesive middle class and are juxtaposed with their working-class pupils. The use of a dichotomy restricts a sophisticated understanding of social class and progression onto teaching. Similarly, these studies ignore the internal hierarchy of the Russell Group. Furthermore, these studies do not account for how 'working-class' pupils become trainee 'middle-class' teachers. There is no national centralised storage of postgraduate student characteristics. Therefore, before proposed interviews, participants would complete a questionnaire which would place them within a social class. Then, within the interviews, the sample would be asked to describe their social class in their own words. Participants would be told their class result from the questionnaire. This result would be discussed in relation to their thoughts and experience of class and teacher training. This data would be used to answer research questions two and three.

Research question two: Why train to teach?
Research question three: Is there a relationship between social class, reasons for teaching and teacher training providers?

This study would employ concepts surrounding trainee teachers' finances, social network, hobbies, interests, family background and upbringing to analyse their decision to teach and choice of their training route. This would build upon previous studies which implicitly refer to these concepts and choice of teacher training. Within the interviews, after discussing their social class identity, reasons for entering teaching and their route would be discussed. This study would quantitatively and qualitatively analyse
participants' social class, their training route, and their reasons for teaching. A Chi-Square would be conducted to test statistical significance between social class and routes into teaching. Participants' qualitative answers would be grouped by social class and each thematically analysed.

This research would be useful for both teacher training providers and academia. Firstly, this research would give teacher training providers an insight into the reasons why trainees choose [or do not choose] their route into teaching. It would also provide them with a demographic of what type of trainee they are attracting and why. Secondly, within academia, literature surrounding social class and participation in higher education is often focused upon entrance to undergraduate courses.

Some studies have discussed the link between social class and teacher training, but this is limited to traditional classifications of social class.