AI Insight
This study examined how perceived social support influences career calling among 1,029 Chinese pre-service teachers, finding that social support positively affects career calling both directly and indirectly through vocational outcome expectations and professional identity. Structural equation modeling revealed that these two factors serve as mediators, working individually and sequentially to strengthen the relationship between social support and teachers' sense of career calling. The research demonstrates that multi-dimensional social support systems are essential for developing sustainable teaching careers.
Why it matters
The findings provide evidence-based guidance for teacher education programs to enhance retention and career commitment by building robust support systems. Strengthening pre-service teachers' professional identity and outcome expectations through social support may address teacher shortages and improve educational quality, contributing to sustainable development goals in education.
Understand the Science
IntroductionAchieving sustainable development goal 4 in education hinges on teachers’ sustainable career development, in which career calling serves as an endogenous driving force. This study investigated how perceived social support, vocational outcome expectations, professional identity and career calling were related among pre-service teachers.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,029 Chinese pre-service teachers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships among perceived social support, vocational outcome expectations, professional identity, and career calling.ResultsThe results revealed that perceived social support was significantly and positively related to vocational outcome expectations, professional identity and career calling. Furthermore, vocational outcome expectations and professional identity mediate the relationship between perceived social support and career calling both individually and in series.DiscussionOur findings highlight that social support constitutes a key factor in promoting career calling among pre-service teachers. Implications include the need to construct a multi-dimensional social support system to strengthen pre-service teachers’ vocational outcome expectations and professional identity, thereby facilitating the development of their career calling.