Factors Associated with Teachers’ Motivation and Commitment to Teach in Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined the level of teachers’ motivation and commitment to the teaching profession in Tanzania. The results show that the majority of teachers were motivated to join and stay in the teaching profession due to intrinsic, rather than extrinsic, factors such as intellectual curiosity and feelings of belongingness to learning community. The results also show that the majority of teachers have very low level of commitment to the teaching profession. For example, just about a third of the teachers surveyed reported that they would choose teaching profession if they were to consider choosing it again. The level of commitment to the teaching profession is associated with the school ownership category, whether a school is privately or publicly owned, and the level teaching qualification.