The Mediating Role of Agency in the Relationship between Pre-service Teachers’ Teaching Career Choice Motivation and Major Satisfaction

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of student agency on the relationship between teaching career choice motivation and major satisfaction among pre-service teachers in Secondary Teacher Education institutions, and to explore the relationships among these variables in order to derive educational implications. Methods: The participants were 323 pre-service teachers enrolled in Secondary Teacher Educationinstitutions. Teaching career choice motivation, student agency, and major satisfaction were measured. The collected data were analyzed using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro 4.0 in SPSS to test the mediating effect. Results: First, teaching career choice motivation showed significant positive relationships with both student agency and major satisfaction. In addition, student agency was positively associated with major satisfaction. Second, student agency partially mediated the effect of teaching career choice motivation on major satisfaction. Conclusion: To enhance pre-service teachers’ major satisfaction, educational support is needed to foster positive teaching career choice motivation and promote student agency in learning and career preparation. This study is meaningful in that it broadens understanding of pre-service teachers’ major learning experiences by integratively examining the relationships among teaching career choice motivation, student agency, and major satisfaction, and suggests the need for educational interventions to improve major satisfaction.