The call to teach and teacher hopefulness

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore teacher motivation and well‐being. Our analysis focuses on two central concepts, the notion of a calling to teach and of teacher hopefulness. Data from 205 preservice and inservice teachers were collected to determine teachers’ sense of calling and level of hope. Results indicate that overwhelmingly, both preservice and inservice teachers feel called to teach and have high levels of hope. However, there are some differences between preservice and inservice teachers and among inservice teachers based on years of experience. Results are discussed in the light of their implications for teacher coping, commitment, and resistance.

Keywords:

• calling to teach
• hopefulness
• teacher well‐being