Passion for teaching: A perspective for South African teachers

Abstract

This article reports on an investigation into passion for teaching, a complex and demanding profession. Three relevant themes emerged: (1) choosing teaching as a profession; (2) growing the passion for teaching; and (3) sustaining passion for teaching. An interpretive study was conducted during which fieldworkers (Bachelor of Education and Training Level Four students) collected the data in the three months of their teaching practice at schools. These fieldworkers qualitatively interviewed 48 teachers at schools where they were placed. According to the findings, the majority of teachers interviewed indicated that extrinsic motives were dominant determinants for teachers to choose teaching as a profession. This means that the majority of participants probably had less passion for teaching as a result of circumstances in their environment or their passion diminished because of a less sense of enduring efficacy. Based on the findings, a framework is proposed that is flexible to accommodate the different realities. It was created to recommend how to sustain a passion for teaching.