The Influence of School Field Introduction (PLP 1) On Pre-Service Teachers' Interest In Pursuing A Teaching Career

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of School Field Introduction (PLP 1) on pre-service teachers' interest in pursuing a teaching career at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidenreng Rappang, Indonesia. School Field Introduction is an essential component of teacher education programs, providing prospective teachers with opportunities to observe school environments, understand educational practices, interact with students, and develop professional awareness. This study employed a descriptive quantitative research design using a survey approach. The participants consisted of 50 undergraduate students who had completed PLP 1 at SMK Negeri 5 Sidenreng Rappang, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics and simple linear regression to examine the relationship between PLP 1 implementation and students' interest in the teaching profession. The findings revealed that the overall implementation of PLP 1 was categorized as good, with a mean score of 3.85 on a five-point scale. Meanwhile, students' interest in pursuing a teaching career was classified as high, with a mean score of 3.92, and 78% of respondents demonstrated high or very high levels of interest. Regression analysis indicated a positive and statistically significant relationship between PLP 1 implementation and teaching career interest (p < 0.05), with an R-squared value of 0.472. This finding suggests that PLP 1 implementation accounted for 47.2% of the variance in students' teaching career interest. Furthermore, mentoring from supervising teachers, classroom observations, and interactions with students emerged as important aspects of the field experience. The study concludes that well-organized school field experiences play a significant role in strengthening pre-service teachers' professional interest and career aspirations. These findings highlight the importance of improving school–university collaboration, mentoring quality, and reflective learning opportunities within teacher education programs.