| A study of one hundred and fifty-seven senior undergraduate education students was undertaken to explore the relative importance of twenty work values, and the relationship of these values to five major life roles of studying, working, community service, home and family, and leisure. The relative importance (salience) of the five life roles was also measured. In addition, the study was designed to explore the relationship between values and images of teaching, career expectations, and student characteristics as measured by admission status, program performance, and program route. The theoretical foundation for the study is based upon propositions by Super (1953, 1957) which view careers as a development process of implementing the self-concept.;It appears that, generally, students are uncertain about their career in teaching. Less than half of the respondents indicated that they expect to obtain full-time employment as a teacher and one third expect to eventually seek a full-time position different from teaching. The quantitative data gathered on this item was supported by the data gathered through the interview process.;The results of correlative analysis between values and life roles, career expectations and images of teaching revealed a number of statistically significant correlation coefficients at the.05 level. Of the values which respondents will seek in future life roles, leisure activities and work showed the greatest number of significant positive correlations.;The results of the study suggest that the education students studied placed a high degree of importance upon values which emphasize social orientation, personal development and home and family. They also approach their careers with a degree of uncertainty, are low risk takers, and expressed interest in the status of teacher education and the profession.;The findings indicate that education students tend to value areas of personal achievement and social orientation more than those that relate to working conditions and risk taking. The level of work salience (importance) was high across the total sample with the role of home and family rated as the most important role for the majority of students. Community service was judged to be the least important of the life roles measured. |
