摘要：Researching the motivation of students - future preschool teachers for their professional choice is important for several reasons. Relevant studies indicate that the motivation of students who have an interest for teaching is one of the most important determinants of the quality of their work and that is closely related to their later dedication to vocation and professionalism. The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between the motivation of students, future preschool teachers, for this occupation and their socio-demographic characteristics. We investigated the most important reasons that guided students in choosing a future occupation, whether they had previous experience in working with children and whether the selected studies were their first choice. Also, it was examined whether there are statistically significant differences among students in the motivation for a future call with respect to certain socio-demographic characteristics. The research involved 241 students of the first year, of which 130 students of the Faculty of Applied Studies for Preschool Teachers in Šabac and 111 students of the Faculty of Teacher Training in Belgrade, the study course for preschool teachers. The obtained results show that students who completed secondary medical school had more experience in working with children than respondents who attended another secondary school. It was also noticed that the largest number of students in the cause think that the working time of the educator is appropriate, while the smallest number of respondents agree with the perception of preschool teacher occupation as “permanent”. The paper also concludes that a detailed introduction of socio-demographic and personal characteristics that influenced the choice of the vocation can be a significant support for the creation of programmes of initial education of preschool teachers.
关键词：motivation; socio-demographic characteristics; students - future preschool teachers
