This paper explores the self-appraisal of teacher commitment and their associated emotional experiences in the first 10 years of teaching among three generations of Hong Kong teachers. Findings affirm previous view that high commitment level of teachers is characterised with psychological attachment to the commitment objects. However the relationship between increased teacher commitment level, time investment in work and psychological attachment to teaching is found uncertain in the changing contexts, leading to the authors' conceptualisation of satisfied and dissatisfied commitment among teachers staying in the profession. Implications from the new understanding of teacher commitment are discussed. [Copyright of Australian Journal of Teacher Education is the property of School of Education, Edith Cowan University. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n7.6]
