GENDER VARIATIONS IN NORWEGIAN PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATIONS

Pre-service teachers' gender and its associations with motivational orientations are under-researched issues. This study, therefore, used a survey methodology to research gender variations in the motivational orientations of pre-service teachers in general. The research clearly shows that male pre-service teachers are less motivated than their female counterparts and have higher levels of disillusion motivation. Female pre-service teachers are more influenced by teacher role models and show higher levels of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy in classroom management. Males seem to internalize external academic pressure to a lesser extent. Further research is needed to better understand these significant findings. The conclusion is that interactions between gender and pre-service teachers' motivational orientations need to be further explored and explicitly addressed by teacher educators.