Today, Ukrainian schools are in urgent need of new professionals, yet fewer and fewer young people are choosing the teaching profession. To better understand the reasons behind this trend, the non-profit organization Teach for Ukraine initiated a dedicated study in 2025, conducted by the Vox Populi agency. The aim was to amplify the voices of young people — to explore what motivates them or, conversely, discourages them from becoming teachers, and to identify ways to support those who have already made this career choice.
The study covered:
– students majoring in education and non-teaching fields;
– teachers with up to five years of professional experience.
- what is the perception of the teaching profession, expectations, criteria for suitability (what corresponds the perceptions of those surveyed regarding the teaching profession and to what extent?);
- how does society, in respondents’ opinion, perceive educators;
- which factors motivate and deter when choosing the teaching profession;
- who chooses to become a teacher more often and based on what reasons; what affects their choice, and other questions.
- Only 37% of students enrolled in teacher education programs see school as a place for a long-term career.
- 92% of educators identified salary increases as a key condition for improving professional performance.
- At the same time, 71% of early-career teachers cite interest in working with students as the main factor motivating them to remain in the profession.
Teach for Ukraine believes that understanding the motivations and needs of young teachers will help create conditions in which they can not only teach, but also realize their leadership potential.
The study was conducted under the Multi-Year Resilience Programme 2024-2026 (MYRP) and funded through Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. The MYRP in Ukraine is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
