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A shortage of qualified science teachers has been recognized as a serious problem in the field of education in many countries. Taiwan, however, has successfully recruited graduate-level science students into teaching through newly established teacher education programs at universities in recent years. This study seeks to examine why such students are motivated for entry into teaching. In-depth interviews of 33 graduate science students from one teacher education program and a survey of 101 students from nine teacher education programs at universities in Taiwan were conducted. Results show that these students were attracted to teaching by an early exposure to science teaching in informal settings and their perceptions of handsome material rewards, favorable working conditions, and relatively high social status of teaching. The cultural roots of these factors are discussed; implications and limitations of the results are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]