Teaching with Purpose: the Political and Practical Motivations Behind Teacher Residency Participation

This paper explores the motivation of teacher residents in joining a teacher residency situated in the U.S. Southeast. The research examined the question: what motivates aspiring teachers to join a teacher residency and what factors appear to support their persistence in the profession? Twenty-nine teacher residents participated in this interview study. Findings illustrated that motivations began as pragmatic (financial and professional supports), but persistence in the field became more relational and ideological.