Keyword: «professional choice»

The article examines interest in the teaching profession as a motivational component of choosing a teaching career. Understanding the mechanisms of interest influence on the choice of a profession at the stage of university training is important for training highly qualified and motivated teachers in the context of a shortage of teaching staff. The psychological foundations of professional interest, its structure and connection with various aspects of pedagogical activity are considered. The results of a study of the dynamics of interest of future teachers from the first to the fifth year (n=158) are presented, showing the absence of a direct connection between the presence of interest and the desire to work in the profession.