Unassignability Anxiety and Perception of Professional Status: An Investigation on Prospective Science Teachers

Purpose: This study aims to explore the link between pre-service science teachers’ anxiety regarding non-appointment and their perceptions of the teaching profession’s status. By determining the levels of these two variables, the study attempts to clarify how career-related concerns may align with societal views of the teaching role. Method: A relational survey model, falling under quantitative research designs, was utilized. The study sample consisted of 545 pre-service science teachers (428 female, 117 male) from 17 public universities in Türkiye. Two instruments were employed: the “Pre-service Teachers’ Anxiety about Not Being Appointed Scale” and the “Perception Scale about the Status of the Teaching Profession.” The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, and Pearson correlation analysis. Findings: The results revealed that the participants had elevated levels of anxiety concerning non-appointment and a moderately high perception of the profession’s status. Female participants demonstrated significantly greater anxiety than males. A significant difference in status perception based on gender was observed only in the “value of the profession” subdimension. Additionally, a weak but statistically meaningful negative correlation was found between non-appointment anxiety and perception of professional status. Highlights: This research emphasizes that pre-service teachers experience significant uncertainty about their future careers. The results suggest that anxiety stemming from potential non-appointment may influence how these individuals perceive the social reputation of the teaching profession. These findings underline the need to reduce such anxieties and elevate the public perception of teaching as a profession.