Access to higher education in Mexico has revealed a concerning phenomenon in normal schools: a lack of vocation among students entering the Bachelor’s programs in Primary and Preschool Education. At Escuela Normal Experimental Miguel Hidalgo, most students did not choose teaching as their first option, which poses serious issues for their academic performance and future professional development. This research aims to analyze students’ motivations and their level of vocation, in order to identify patterns and propose strategies to improve the vocational selection process.
The study followed a descriptive quantitative approach with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. A simple random sampling was applied, selecting 30 % of the total population of 465 students. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire that measured motivations, level of vocation, and perceptions of the teaching profession. The analysis included descriptive statistics and comparative tests (t-tests and ANOVA).
The results revealed a low level of vocation in both programs, with significant differences between Primary and Preschool Education. Additionally, a decrease in satisfaction with the career over the years was observed, particularly in Primary Education.
The conclusion highlights the existence of a vocational crisis that may negatively affect the quality of teacher training and the students’ future performance. Vocational selection and orientation strategies are proposed to address this challenge.
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