The Motivations of Graduate Students in Choosing the Postgraduate Certificate in Education Pathway into Teaching: A Case Study of a Rural University

The aim of this study was to identify the motivations held by graduate teachers at the onset of their initial teacher education. Students were asked to create a collage based on the theme “I come from”, providing a visual and reflective account of their backgrounds and their reasons for enrolling in the PGCE programme. Empirical data were collected from the fifteen collages, along with reflective entries from students who volunteered to participate. Data analysis was conducted through a four-stage process that examined the content of the images, the visual elements, the structural composition of the collages, and the representational aspects, all of which were interpreted in relation to broader social, cultural, and educational discourses. The results suggest that motivations are not standalone; rather, they are intertwined, reflecting a complex interplay of influences. A key finding of the study is that students’ motivations have antecedents deeply rooted in their socio-cultural and economic backgrounds, indicating that personal history, community context, and prior experiences collectively shape their decision to pursue a career in teaching.