With support of data from longitudinal studies of two generations of teacher cohorts, this chapter seeks to contribute to the discussion on teacher shortages, teacher attrition, and the (re) recruitment of teachers. The following questions are highlighted: How much of their working life do individuals devote to their work as a teacher, within the school system and in the educational system as a whole? How do they view their future prospects as a teacher? To what extent are statements about future career development translated into actual action? Do the generations differ in any of the aspects described above, and if so in what ways?

The results of the studies show, firstly, that the horizons of expectations for action of different teacher generations do not differ significantly. The majority of teachers in both cohorts consider their future teaching careers in a positive light. Secondly, expressed intentions of leaving the profession do not seem to be realized to the extent that they are pronounced. Despite predictions of future attrition, most teachers remain in the profession. Over time, we also see that those who leave the profession remain in the school world. In other words, the effectiveness of teacher education can be seen as relatively good.

The study highlights the extension and scope of teachers’ work. Swedish teachers reflected on this before and after visiting schools in France, where “CPE-staff” alleviate teachers with different tasks. In sum, findings indicate that the extension and scope of teachers’ work can be discussed in terms of what, when and where, but also as already institutionalized or something that reshapes during negotiations on a daily basis. The findings are analyzed by the concepts of “structure” and “communitas” (Turner, 1974, 2008), highlighting how the professional boarders are dependent on patterns of structures and relationships within the school as an organization.

With support of data from longitudinal studies of two generations of teacher cohorts, this article aims to contribute to the discussion on teacher shortages, teacher drop-out and (re) recruitment of teachers. The following questions are highlighted: How much of their working time do individuals devote to work as a teacher, within the school system and in the education system as a whole? How do they view their future as a teacher? To what extent can we see that statements about the future career are translated into actual action? Do the generations differ in any of the aspects described above, and if so in what way?

The results of the studies show, firstly, that the horizons for action of different teacher generations do not differ significantly. The majority of teachers in both cohorts consider their future teaching career as positive. Secondly, intentions of leaving the profession do not seem to be realized to the extent that they are pronounced. Despite predictions of future dropouts, most teachers remain in the profession. Over time, we also see that those who quit the profession remain in the school world. In other words, the effectiveness of teacher education can be seen as relatively good.

In 2014, a newly formed group of teachers graduated from Swedish universities. In addition to their qualification as leisure-time pedagogues, their degree includes teaching practical/aesthetical subjects in compulsory school. This group of teachers thus has to relate to dual professional identities and to maintain a balance between the socially oriented leisure-time centres and a goal- and results-driven school. In this article we describe their first two years after graduation, trying to get hold of their negotiation of professional identities and orientation in the professional landscape. Results shows that the graduates try to balance own ideals and hybrid professional intentions against traditional professional identities and labour market conditions and that position in a liminal phase might be crucial for the outcome.