Ode to joy: The impact of enjoyment on pre-service teacher persistence.

Abstract

Persistence in teaching is a crucial matter all around the world, as teaching is related to a high level of attrition. In this paper, we are interested in how persistence in teaching may be predicted by 1) teacher emotions and 2) their self-perceived competence as well as the value placed on the teaching profession. Using self-reported questionnaires, we collected data on 655 pre-service teachers. Results revealed that value allowed to teaching and teaching self-perceived competence significantly predict emotions felt when teaching. Moreover, results highlight that value and enjoyment are positively related to the propensity to persist in teaching.