Abstract

Physical education teacher training programs in Chile have a high demand for enrollment and is recognized as one of the attractive professions for young people. The purpouse of this study is to know the reasons that lead young Chileans to choose the physical education teacher training program at a regional university, in the Maule region, Chile. The research was a mixed sequential one, since it was characterized by a first stage, where quantitative data were collected and analyzed, followed by another, where qualitative data were collected and interpreted. At the quantitative part of the study 146 students (54 female and 89 male) answered a questionnaire, and at the qualitative part 6 students (3 men and 3 women) participated in a focus group interview. Previous participation in sport, interest related to a physically active lifestile, and the pleasure of teaching are shown in the results. As conclusions, the students choose to enroll in a physical education teaching program motivated by previous sports and physical activity experiences, and the desire to teach values through sport.