The entry into a profession and the motivations for choosing it, the early years of one's career and statute of the profession, in particular the teaching one, have been the subject of several investigations. However, both in Portugal and abroad, the professional insertion of teachers has been neglected by academic research. Therefore, in this article, we propose to contribute to the knowledge of the professional insertion of primary and secondary teachers by examining the degree of satisfaction in the profession, the most and least valued aspects at work, as well as the professional status in two periods, one year and five years after completing the degree. We consider graduates in education compared to all graduates of the universities of Lisbon and New Lisbon. The data presented allows us to state that, in the dimensions studied, there are no significant differences between graduates regarding the aspects analyzed. The particularities of the group of graduates in education who participated in the research include: a slight prominence of altruistic aspects; a slightly greater satisfaction with the profession; a trend towards casualization of employment contracts and a willingness to earn on average slightly lower income. In conclusion, we highlight the need for further study of how professional conditions influence the development of teachers in the phase of professional insertion. Furthermore, we stress that better ways to support professional learning should be explored, as well as the construction of teachers' professional identity in early career.
Professional satisfaction; Professional insertion; Values at work; Teaching profession
