Exploring the phenomenon of caring in the moral purpose of teachers and its impact on teaching and career commitment

The term "quality teachers" is prevalent throughout current educational literature. Constructs and criteria have been established for quality teachers and teaching and many teachers have attained the recognition and credentials that go with the distinction. One challenge has become that of knowing how to support these teachers and to keep them in the profession. This research grew out of an interest in how the moral purpose of individual teachers impacts their teaching and career commitment.;Guided by Michael Fullan's theory of the role of individual teacher's moral purpose in continuous educational improvement, I explored the phenomenon of caring and moral purpose through five major research questions and eight subsidiary questions. The questions were designed to study the interactions among teacher values, attitudes, passion for teaching/learning and career commitment. The experience of caring was explored in the moral purpose of twelve teachers in Louisville, KY. Within three school contexts; parochial, private, and public.;Field study methodology used teacher interviews, teacher observations, and a focus group discussion to gather data about teachers' experiences of caring and moral purpose during their time in teaching. Analysis of teacher narratives followed Moustakis's three-phase data analysis process for phenomenological research.;Findings demonstrate caring and moral purpose were factors in the initial career choices of these teachers. Caring in moral purpose proved to be dynamic, presenting three portrayals of the process of consolidation and/or change in the caring and moral purpose of the participants. Pathways of influence were identified demonstrating the interplay between caring and moral purpose and teacher identified enabling variables and important educational outcomes. This researcher concluded that caring and moral purpose are central to continuous educational improvement and the development of the capacity for change agentry.;The concluding chapter stresses the benefits of having teachers who are aware of their caring and moral purpose. Chapter Five also discusses how mandated educational change interacts with purposeful educational change. Also included is a discussion of the implications of the study findings for teacher preparation and in-service programs and the value of conversations within professional learning communities. Finally, this researcher makes recommendations for further research.