Primary teacher commitment and the attractions of teaching

Abstract

The article examines data collected from six primary schools in the ESRC Project: Primary Teacher Identity, Commitment and Career in Performative Cultures, and compares it to classic analyses of teacher commitment made by Dan Lortie and Jennifer Nias in order to assess continuity and change. The ‘mission’ to teach is still there, as is the humanist nurturing respect for young children, expressed as ‘love’ and ‘caring’. The material suitability of primary teaching for parents of young children is still a factor, but so are choices based on improved workplace welfare and responsibility in comparison with other jobs. This paper will draw out some of the complexities of contemporary teacher commitment and identity in the context of fast policy change and the rise of portfolio careers: in this context, the teacher’s ‘self’ and ‘ontological security’ have come under challenge. We conclude by using our findings on primary teacher commitment to examine social theories around subjectivities, such as the ‘corrosion of character’, ‘individualization’ and ‘reflexive projects of the self’.

Keywords:

• teacher
• identity
• commitment
• careers

Acknowledgement

The research on which this article was based (Primary Teacher Identity, Commitment and Career in Performative Cultures (PTICC) 2005–2007 – Award Reference: RES‐000‐23‐0748) – was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), whose support is gratefully acknowledged. We are also extremely grateful for the helpful and critical comments of two anonymous referees.