Importance of Pedagogical Practice in Teaching Satisfaction

The motivation teachers display in the early stages of their professional development affects their future professional competence and adaptability to the occupational environment. This study explores the motivational variables that influence satisfaction with choosing a career in teaching in Chile, comparing pre-service teachers with in-service teachers. A non-experimental, correlational-explanatory quantitative design was used, surveying 758 participants (328 pre-service teachers and 430 in-service teachers) using the FIT-Choice questionnaire. The results reveal that intrinsic motivations, such as the desire to work with children and adolescents, and prior teaching experience, have a strong positive influence on satisfaction in both groups. This highlights the importance of encouraging and strengthening practical experience in initial teacher training. Furthermore, differences in the value of job security and social contribution reflect the evolution of motivation from initial teacher training to professional practice.