ABSTRACT
For many beginning teachers, including our research participants, their own teachers had a measurable influence on their decision to become teachers. Yoko’s first-grade teacher was a significant factor in her desire to become a teacher, and Ken j is third-, fourth-, and ninth-grade teachers influenced his choice of teaching as a career. He decided to go to a teachers college when he was a high school senior. As reported by researchers (Ito & Yamazaki 1986; Kojima & Shinohara 1985), many research participants identified their role models as teachers who had influenced them during their childhood. Lortie (1975) reported the same findings with respect to American teachers. In other words, regardless of the culture, neophytes’ childhood teachers are significant role models.
