(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-03) ABDELBAQI, RANIA MOHD KHALID
The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of young Emirati high school and college students towards teaching as a career choice, and to reveal the changes that need to be done to the educational system in the UAE that could help in making teaching a more appealing career choice to these students. The problem addressed in this research paper is the lack of motivation among young Emirati students to join the field of teaching resulting in a severe shortage of nationals in this field. Mixed sequential methodology is used in this research, with the quantitative stage at the beginning followed by the qualitative stage. It was concluded that the main reasons why teaching is not a preferred choice for young Emiratis are the low status of teachers in society and their difficult working conditions. Recommendations to all stakeholders involved in the educational system are provided at the end of this paper.