Has COVID-19 changed pre-service teachers perceptions of the profession? Yes, but not necessarily in bad ways

The teaching profession profoundly changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether these changes were for the better or worse depends on individual teachers’ perceptions. Pre-service teachers watched from the sidelines and their perceptions of the profession changed too, potentially implicating future career outcomes including career commitment, value of belongingness, teaching efficacy, and career anxiety. We used a person-centred analysis to cluster pre-service teachers (n = 146) based on their perceptions of changes to job demands and returns during the pandemic using the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice Scale. Three clusters emerged: a Neutral Group, a Valued Group, and a Busy Group. We used ANOVA to determine mean level differences between these groups on our career outcome variables. Significant mean differences emerged only for the value of belongingness and career anxiety variables. There were no significant differences between clusters on the commitment, right career decision, and efficacy variables, which is encouraging from a teacher retention perspective. Pre-service teachers generally remained committed to the teaching profession with the same career plans that they had pre-pandemic. We discuss the implications of this study for teacher education programs, policy, and research.