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- Title
How motivations for teaching in South Korean primary schools are mediated by the local context.
- Authors
Ian Moodie
- Abstract
The purpose of this study is to address the need for understanding motivations for teaching and English language teaching in primary schools and how such motivations are influenced by national and local-level education policy. Using written stories from 20 primary school teachers in South Korea (15 female and 5 male), the study investigates their reasons for becoming teachers and reasons for teaching English full-time. In contrast to recent survey research from Korea, the study found that participants' motivations for teaching were largely extrinsic in that they were drawn to the field mainly because of the working conditions and the social and legal status of the teaching profession. Findings also revealed different mindsets between male and female participants: Whereas the female teachers were generally motivated by the status and working conditions, three of five males had chosen teaching as a fallback career. As for teaching English, although some participants volunteered to teach English because of their interest in the language, nearly half were influenced by extrinsic factors, the most prominent of these being committing to teaching English because of the teacher assignment and rotation system. The study concludes with implications, limitations, and ideas for further research related to grade and subject assignments in Korean primary schools.
- Subjects
SOUTH Korea; MOTIVATION (Psychology); WOMEN teachers; PRIMARY schools; PRIMARY school teachers; EDUCATION policy; EXTRINSIC motivation
- Publication
KEDI Journal of Educational Policy, 2019, Vol 16, Issue 2, p67
- ISSN
1739-4341
- Publication type
Article