Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
John Kellmayer
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Glenda Horner
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Misty Resendez Woods
Abstract
The underrepresentation of Hispanic teachers in U.S. public education remains a significant concern as Hispanic students comprise a growing proportion of the K–12 population. Despite this demographic shift, the educator’s workforce has not reflected the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students it serves. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore first- and second-year Hispanic college students’ perceptions of teaching as a profession and to examine how their educational and personal experiences influenced their career interests. The study was informed by social cognitive career theory and culturally relevant teaching theory to better understand how self-efficacy, outcome expectations, environmental influences, and representation shaped career decision-making. Data were collected through semistructured interviews conducted via Zoom with 10 Hispanic college students representing diverse majors and career aspirations. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit participants who were at least 18 years old and enrolled in a Texas institution of higher education. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. Research procedures included transcript review, systematic coding, theme development, and iterative analysis to identify patterns across participants’ narratives. Findings indicated that teaching was generally perceived as a less desirable career due to concerns related to emotional demands, financial limitations, limited societal respect, and job-related stress. Participants frequently described teaching as underpaid and emotionally taxing. Additionally, many reported minimal encouragement from family members, educators, or advisors to consider teaching as a viable career pathway, and few recalled intentional recruitment into the profession. The study concluded that early perceptions and limited environmental supports may contribute to the continued underrepresentation of Hispanic educators. Intentional outreach, culturally responsive mentorship, and targeted recruitment efforts were identified as necessary to strengthen the Hispanic teacher pipeline.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hernandez, Daniela Andrea, "Cultivating Diversity: Investigating Hispanic College Students’ Attitudes Toward Teaching Amid the U.S. Teacher Shortage Crisis" (2026). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1027.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/1027