Global Perspectives on Teacher Motivation

Teacher motivation is important for sustaining teachers. The FIT-Choice instrument offers the opportunity to examine motivations across different settings.

Helen M. G. Watt (Edited by), Paul W. Richardson (Edited by), Kari Smith (Edited by)

9781107104983, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 September 2017

414 pages, 29 b/w illus.
23.6 x 15.8 x 2.6 cm, 0.69 kg

Many studies of teacher motivation have been conducted in different contexts over time. However, until fairly recently there has not been a reliable measure available to allow comparisons across samples and settings. This has resulted in an abundance of findings which cannot be directly compared or synthesised. The FIT-Choice instrument offers the opportunity to examine motivations across settings. The various studies in this book suggest that people who choose teaching as a career are motivated by a complex interaction of factors embedded within communities and cultural expectations, but seem generally to embrace a desire to undertake meaningful work that makes for a better society. Unlike some careers, where rewards are in the form of salary and status, by and large these factors are not strong drivers for people who want to become teachers. They want to work with children and adolescents, and believe they have the ability to teach.

1. Why teach? How teachers' motivations matter around the world Helen M. G. Watt, Paul W. Richardson and Kari Smith
2. Career motivations of student teachers in the Republic of Ireland: continuity and change during educational reform and 'boom to bust' economic times Manuela Heinz, Elaine Keane and Conor Foley
3. Why teach? Antecedents and consequences in Spain Gloria Gratacós, Ernesto López-Gómez, Guiomar Nocito and Santiago Sastre
4. Factors motivating students to become secondary school teachers: evidence from Norway Christian Brandmo and Katrine Nesje
5. The motivational basis of classroom management practices and beliefs of Swiss vocational teachers Jean-Louis Berger, Céline Girardet, Cynthia Vaudroz and Carmela Aprea
6. Motivations that affect professional knowledge in Germany and Austria Johannes König and Martin Rothland
7. Motivations and perceptions about teaching during the first year of teacher education in Estonia Merle Taimalu, Piret Luik and Karin Täht
8. How personality dimensions and motivation to teach shape the learning achievement goals of Croatian future teachers Iris Maruši?, Ivana Jugovi? and Tea Pavin Ivanec
9. Exploring the relationships between prospective Turkish teachers' hopes, motivations and professional plans Altay Eren and Amanda Ye?ilbursa
10. Motivations and aspirations of teacher education students in Indonesia Anne Suryani
11. Teacher motivation and professional commitment in the United States: the role of motivations for teaching, teacher self-efficacy and sense of professional responsibility Fani Lauermann, Stuart A. Karabenick, Robert Carpenter and Colleen Kuusinen
12. Divided by discipline? Contrasting motivations, perceptions, and background characteristics of beginning Australian English and Mathematics teachers Helen M. G. Watt, Paul W. Richardson and Zoe A. Morris
13. Why choose teaching and does it matter? Ruth Butler.

Subject Areas: Teaching skills & techniques [JNT], School/community relations & school/home relations [JNKP], Teaching staff [JNKH], Organization & management of education [JNK], Educational psychology [JNC], Education [JN], Psychology [JM]