What major factors led you into teaching?” Your task is to read over the responses and determine the factors that seem to predominate: Psychology Research Paper, TCD, Ireland

For this assignment, you are required to prepare and submit a 1,000-word report of content analysis. On the following pages, you will find responses from 123 teachers who were asked the question, “What major factors led you into teaching?” Your task is to read over the responses and determine the factors that seem to predominate. What reasons are included in these responses?

You may need to look at closely related wordings from several responses and generate a category name that is not mentioned explicitly. In the process, you are defining categories. The list of categories that you generate should be both mutually exclusive and exhaustive. Conduct your content analysis on this material, using the skills developed this term, and prepare a 1,000-word research report.

The report should include the following sections:

• A brief introduction to the task; define the research question; your population (approx. 100 words).

• A description of your methodology; the coding scheme you developed; and your analysis (approx. 300 words).

• A description and discussion of the main findings (i.e., describe what you think is the most interesting finding and if you can identify any trends in the data) (approx. 300 words).

• A discussion of the limitations of your analysis, its validity, reliability, and what you could do to improve it (approx. 300 words).

• References (the list of references to literature you have cited in the preceding sections).

• An appendix containing the material you have coded (the material in the appendix does not count towards the final word count). Some tips for conducting your analysis.

• Define your unit of analysis (e.g., specific words or phrases).

• Define your set of categories (you may need to look at several responses to generate your list of categories). The list of categories that you generate should be both mutually exclusive and exhaustive.

• Code the responses from the survey, marking keywords or phrases with a highlighter and placing them in the categories you have identified.

• Using your coding scheme, count the number of responses in each category and calculate their frequencies. Identify the factors that seem to predominate.

• Where appropriate, support claims, arguments, etc. with references to literature. In this assignment, you may be citing both studies related to the topic (factors that lead people to teach) and methodological literature (e.g., textbooks, methods-focused studies).

Respondent No What major factors led you into teaching?

1 I felt I could make a difference in children’s lives and teach them effectively.

2 Coaching, summer vacation, my love of working with kids.

3 I decided to go into teaching for several reasons. I love children, I feel I have a natural gift to teach children, and it’s a great job for moms with children at home because of the schedule.

4 My husband died when I was 35 years old. I was content with staying at home and raising our son. I realized I needed to do something with my life. Going to school allowed me to be at home when my son was there. Also, I saw how he was judged by coming from

5 Helping kids, teaching science.

6 Love kids, always babysat

7 The fervor that my high school band director had for teaching motivated me most.

8 I enjoyed teaching swim lessons while in high school to preschoolers. I ended up teaching middle school when I discovered I didn’t have the talent to teach the same students all day.

9 Actually the very good and the very bad teachers I had were factors that led me into teaching. Another major factor was that I truly enjoyed high school.

10 I enjoy the learning process. I also like working with kids and wasn’t ready for the business world.

11 My lover of music and the desire to show others the joy music can bring. I also enjoyed working with children.

12 The need for employment. My original bachelor’s in chemistry. With no job prospects available in the field, teaching seemed a good place to be (funny how destiny works).

13 A teacher I had in school, the subject area, and I come from a long line of teachers.

14 I participated as a peer tutor in high school with students with disabilities and enjoyed it.

The teacher for the class was a positive role model. I have always liked working with children so it made sense.

15 My desire to help and guide children, along with my love for children led me into teaching.

16 Being able to explain mathematical concepts to others easily.

17 I like working with people, especially kids. I like having an impact on the future of our world. I am well-rounded; I knew teaching involves many facets of other careers.

18 Love of reading, summer off, the father is a high school administrator, enjoy being around kids.

19 Love of kids and content area, enjoy social dynamics of the classroom setting

20 A need/want to help others, love of learning and for children, helping create that lightbulb over someone’s head when they finally get it.

21 I love working with children. I love the language (ASL).

22 Ability to impact lives, make a difference, improve lives, also fondness of subject.

23 Most of the teachers I had in school went out of their way to help me do good in school.

24 I wasn’t happy interviewing for and planning to be in various kinds of sales. It didn’t offer any intrinsic values. I hung out in Bloomington trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my BA in journalism and my business minor. I started training the

25 Desire to work with kids, amount of business classes taken prior to choosing education, school calendar – time with own children, same schedule. 26 Summers off important when raising family, dealing with children

27 I love to instruct. Weekends, holidays with my family. I was a nurse for 10 years before I became a teacher.

28 High school teacher

29 The ability to work with other people was one of my strengths as a person. 30 Family background, desire to help kids, coaching

31 My parents – they were both teachers, love of children, I thought teaching looked like it would be a fun and enjoyable career.

32 Learning new things is my passion.

33 Hours – Summer off – vacations with my children are the same. Also, love working with children.

34 The students. Making an impact in young peoples’ lives.

35 Making a difference in children’s lives. The ability to be with my children as they grow. My love for children.

36 Wanted to make a difference. My mom was an excellent master teacher and example.

37 I enjoyed teaching kids and helping them learn new things. I always enjoyed my subject area and saw that my teacher enjoyed it.

38 One of my teachers told me I’d make a good teacher.

39 The opportunity to administer to children in a positive manner. Juvenile justice always had me dealing with bad children, and I wanted to see if the world had well-behaved kids.

40 The teachers in my life. My parents also encouraged me.

41 Wanting to help kids.

42 I felt it would be a service to people. I wanted my work hours to coincide fairly closely with my children’s school hours.

43 Being able to help children, watching them learn, watching them grow, the hours, the yearly schedule.

44 I wanted to be able to help other children learn including my own.

45 I wanted to make a positive impact on kids.

46 Some teachers pushed me to be more than what I thought was capable.

47 I loved working with children and everyone always told me I would be a good teacher so I decided to try it.

48 The thought that I could help children better their lives.

49 Ability to influence and make a difference to children, time off.

50 I was working at a playground and found I enjoyed being with children far more than the courses I was taking to prepare for nursing.

51 My aunt was an inspiration to me. She taught for 50 years. I admired one of my English teachers in high school who had a gift for students. In the early 1970s, there was a need for teachers. I enjoyed working with children and my reading college professor said

52 Love of children and their excitement when learning. Wanting to share my love of reading with others

53 Chance to work with kids. Opportunity to work in the field of math and science and teach kids.

54 Desire to inspire children.

55 Babysitting, youth group, young children, calendar

56 Job burnout in retail management. Dissatisfaction with long hours, little vacation time.

57 The satisfaction of seeing children being excited about learning new ideas/concepts.

58 I had some wonderful, talented teachers as well as some apathetic, terrible teachers. I knew I could be better than some I had, and I wanted to make people feel good and confident like the talented teachers I had

59 I love being with children. I have always enjoyed helping others.

60 Educators in my family. Excellent teachers.

61 I am good at making complicated topics simple to understand.

62 My love for math and problem-solving. My interest is in making a change in children’s lives. The convenience of work while my children were in school. Work schedule with my own children. Desire to help students make a positive attitude change about math.

63 My love for “special needs” students and the rewards that are far and few between but are so great when they happen. All these things I felt as a [para?] and as an older adult I knew then that I had to get my degree.

64 My mother owned a home daycare for many years. I saw the impact she made on the lives of the children in her care. I also know that one day I wanted to have children of my own and teaching was a profession where I could make an impact and spend quality

65 The teachers that I had going through school led me into teaching. I had several good teachers throughout my schooling experiences.

66 My experiences and relationships with my teachers encouraged me a great deal.

67 The environment of being around kids – entertaining them. The time off. The lack of a “business world” atmosphere.

68 Previous jobs (aide at a junior high school)

69 I think there is something very special about being able to watch a child grow in knowledge. I am amazed at young minds. I’ve always had a positive attitude towards school and I wanted to be a part of the process.

70 No written comments

71 Knowing that I wanted a family and did not want to be away from my own children. Helping make a difference in the lives of less fortunate kids.

72 The poor quality of education that my children received. I just knew I could do better. A love of teaching. A love of children.

73 The opportunity to make a difference. The lifestyle it affords.

74 I am the oldest of five children. I love working with kids and watching them learn (I always have). Also, my mom began teaching when I was in middle school.

75 I enjoy working with young people and my mother and father were both teachers.

76 No written comments

77 Musical talent, love for kids.

78 Influence of teachers at all educational levels.

79 Father was an educator. Always loved school and learning. The constant change in activities. Love people. High energy level.

80 I enjoy working with students.

81 A college mentor

82 Family history of teachers. Level of the incompetence of a former college professor.

83 Well respected career. Coaching.

84 Love of sports. Like kids. Time off in summer.

85 I love kids. I love learning new things.

86 No written comments

87, My past elementary teachers.

88 I enjoyed working with young kids. I felt I was a good leader and teacher. I am not concerned about money.

89 I love children. Always found myself “teaching others.” Idolized my teachers. Liked the idea of time off during holidays and summers.

90 My love for children and English (writing and literature).

91 Working with kids. Enjoyed biology.

92 Being able to make a positive impact on students’ lives.

93 The teacher I was working within 1986.

94 Desire to have a positive impact on middle school students.

95 Acid rain, coaching football.

96 I love working with kids. I like to help others, and I like to be creative.

97 Support of family, friends. Prayer.

98 Variety. Working with kids. Creativity. Flexibility.

99 The desire to be a principal and the connection with students and staff.

100 The major factor that led me into teaching was the ability to make a difference in the lives of children.

101 The need for young, creative, and enthusiastic teachers.

102 Family support of my decision. I felt comfortable in education classes and in the classrooms I participated in.

103 No written comments

104 I enjoy being around people, I like to have a positive effect on people’s lives.

105 Love of children

106 Working with children, helping those with troubles or learning difficulties.

107 The opportunity to work with students. The time off during the year that I could use to spend with my future children.

108 Enjoyment of teaching/working with kids. Good teachers.

109 Ability to help others. My passion for learning.

110 High school math teacher, head football coach, head baseball coaches: role models

112 I have an aptitude for working with kids.

113 I thought I could make a difference.

114 I enjoy being around kids and making a difference for them.

115 Love for children, role models, positive student teaching experience.

116 Disillusionment with educational consultants, desire to “give back” to the community.

117 The calendar schedule. Ability to work when my children are at school and be home with them too.

118 As I said, as a child I decided I wanted to be a teacher, but I wanted to be a good mother first. Teaching is the best fit with motherhood.

119 The idea that I could take my learned skills and apply them to successful teaching strategies.

120 I wanted to make a difference in children’s lives. I had some very good teachers while I was going through school, but I also had some very poor teachers. I felt the need to become a teacher so that I could make a difference not only in the classroom but

121 Coaching, summer off, vacations, opportunities to work with kids.

122 I had good teachers in school. They had the biggest influence. I always wanted to work with students. Having major holidays did not hurt either.

123 Opportunity, interest, working with young people.