Teachers as Teaching Idealists

The research entailed asking every teacher participating in the study what teaching meant to that teacher. This seemingly straightforward question elicited carefully considered and highly insightful answers that encapsulate current understandings of, and hopes for, teaching as an idealised profession. The analysis of these understandings and hopes highlights both continuing and changing elements of the practice of teaching, as well as contributing to teachers&s; ongoing commitment to success strategies designed to maximise their motivation and resilience, and to enhance their students’ learning outcomes. These diverse evocations of the essence of teaching distil broader and deeper insights into the character and significance of contemporary teaching.