Does hardship deter potential teachers from joining the teaching profession? a case study of primary school volunteer teachers in Mzuzu Diocese in Malawi

Abstract

The study examined the extent to which hardship experienced by primary school volunteer teachers deterred them from joining the teaching profession. The study involved a cohort of 107 volunteer teachers who had assembled in Mzuzu for a six week teacher training programme. A questionnaire was used to collect data that was later analysed manually and presented in a tabular form. Prospect Theory guided the study in understanding the extent to which the volunteer teachers’ experiences of hardship in the teaching profession influenced their decision to join the profession. The findings revealed that in spite of the majority of the volunteer teachers experiencing hardship, they enjoyed teaching and were not deterred from joining the teaching profession. Two possible explanations for such risk-seeking behaviour were that they either saw something greater of personal value to them or they truly saw the teaching profession as a vocation.