Recent approaches to initial teacher education programmes consider non-academic qualities when selecting prospective teachers. The motivation to become a teacher is crucial in the admission to, progression in, and graduation from initial teacher education programmes. Previous research has highlighted the association between motivational factors and educational outcomes but not the underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to identify how the motivation to enter the teaching profession influenced prospective teachers' approaches to learning and their academic outcomes. We used the Factors Influencing Teaching-Choice, and Revised Approaches to Study Inventory scales with a sample of 217 first-year prospective teachers enrolled in initial teacher education programmes at a Catalan university (Spain). The findings indicated that social utility values, intrinsic career values, and social antecedent components were linked to deep and strategic approaches to learning, leading to a positive impact on prospective teachers' academic success. Moreover, social antecedent components were linked to a surface approach to learning and negatively impacted prospective teachers' academic outcomes. These results suggested that approaches to learning could be a pathway by which motivation to become a teacher affects academic outcomes. Practical implications are discussed in terms of pedagogical strategies that may help improve prospective teachers' learning.