Australia’s classrooms are richly multicultural — yet its teaching workforce doesn’t reflect that diversity. A new study from Monash University addresses the important question: Why do so few ethnic minority students consider teaching as a career?

Despite growing cultural and linguistic diversity among students, teachers from ethnic minority backgrounds remain underrepresented in Australian teacher education programs and the profession more broadly.

Our study sheds light on the barriers that shape career decisions for ethnic minority students who considered teaching but ultimately chose other paths. 

Why this research matters

Nearly one in four Australian students now speaks a language other than English at home, and classrooms are more diverse than ever before. Yet the teaching workforce remains largely white and monolingual – a mismatch that has real consequences for equity, inclusion and student belonging.

A more diverse teacher workforce can improve cultural representation, strengthen student engagement and retention, help bridge achievement gaps and positively influence post-school aspirations. 

On the other hand, a homogeneous teacher workforce risks perpetuating a deficit view of minoritised students’ knowledge and capabilities, and limiting culturally-responsive practices – both of which carry significant implications for students’ wellbeing and school engagement.

We surveyed 152 people from ethnic minority backgrounds who had considered teacher education but did not go on to study it, and interviewed 48 of them for deeper insights. We applied a social theory called reflexive decision-making to understand how individuals make career choices based on their personal beliefs, social pressures and the broader cultural context. 

Three big reasons people opted out of teaching

The findings point to three interconnected influences on career choice:

1. Personal beliefs and self-confidence

For many participants, internal doubts about their own abilities, shaped by experiences in school and prior expectations, made teaching feel unattainable or unattractive. Some feared they lacked the skills or confidence required to succeed. 

2. Structural barriers

Barriers such as financial pressures, concerns about job security and the time and cost of teacher training led participants to prioritise other careers. For some, additional entry requirements into the teaching profession, particularly literacy and numeracy tests perceived as culturally biased, were experienced as daunting and unfairly disadvantageous.

3. Cultural and social expectations

Family expectations and broader cultural narratives shaped career choices in powerful ways. Some participants described pressure to pursue what were seen as “prestige careers”, such as law, medicine or engineering, rather than teaching. Others said wider societal perceptions of teaching as low-status, poorly-paid or undervalued affected their decisions. 

Together, these factors created a perfect storm. Even students interested in teaching often saw it as less desirable or less achievable than other options. 

Real lives, real decisions

One young woman participant in our study described how supportive family expectations for “professional” careers made her feel reluctant to pursue education, even though she loved working with children. 

Another participant explained that repeated messaging about teaching being a second choice for those who “couldn’t do anything else” made it hard to consider it seriously. These personal narratives echo patterns seen across the broader survey data. 

What this means for policy and practice

If Australia’s teaching workforce is going to reflect its classroom diversity, the study suggests multiple strategies are needed:

• Raising the profile of teaching and changing societal perceptions about the status and value of the profession.
• Supporting ethnic minority students early in their education with mentoring, role models and pathways into degree programs.
• Reviewing structural barriers in teacher education entry requirements and financial supports that may inadvertently disadvantage potential candidates. 

A call to action

The research offers compelling evidence that diversifying the teaching profession won’t happen without intentional changes in schools, universities and the wider community. If Australia wants a teaching workforce that mirrors its student population, it needs to start by understanding why so many motivated, capable students choose different paths.

As one participant put it: 

“I didn’t choose teaching because I didn’t see people like me doing it.” 

That sentiment, repeated by many in the study, reminds us that representation doesn’t just matter, it shapes futures.