Voices from the Frontliners: The Case of Motivations and Challenges of Mismatched Women Teachers in Public Secondary Schools

Abstract

Good teaching is obviously significant for education. There is no much definitive empirical evidence that
motivational determinants of mismatched teachers keep teaching while they are also challenged by unintended
consequences of being mismatched teachers. This case study sought to find out mismatched women teachers’
motivations in public secondary schools. The data were collected mainly through semi-structured interviews. All
interview data were recorded, transcribed, analyzed, and divided into themes. We followed the stages including:
(a) preparing, engaging and immersing ourselves with the interview data, (b) creating preliminary codes, (c)
seeking out for themes and sub-themes, (d) looking over or reviewing themes, (e) classifying and identifying
themes. Our recursive analysis of the data helped us to conclude three major themes and several sub-themes
including interpersonal factors: supportive colleagues and family, social service factors: obligation as educators,
and challenges (content knowledge, the non-availability of teaching and learning materials, low salary but not
feel dejected). Recommendations and implications are also discussed.