A questionnaire was administered to 106 in-service teacher education students of a university in Hong Kong to study their motives and commitment in teaching. Three motive factors were identified accounting for their choice of teaching as a career: "intrinsic/altruistic", "extrinsic/job condition" and "influence from others", amongst which, the strongest one is "intrinsic/altruistic" motive. Four factors influencing teachers' commitment were found, viz. "students' learning and school development", "demands on teaching and school practices", "teaching as a career choice", "teacher-pupil interaction and attitudes". Further analysis of the commitment factors highlighted the supporting and discouraging elements associated with school heads and collegial support, students' learning outcomes, behaviour and attitudes in learning, parents' demands and educational policy changes. All of which deserved the attention of the education authority to address with appropriate measures. Pearson correlation analysis showed that "intrinsic/altruistic" motive was significantly related to the four commitment factors, suggesting the relative importance of "intrinsic/altruistic" motive upon teacher's commitment in teaching. This should be noted by schools and universities in the process of recruiting prospective teachers.
本港一所大學的106位在職教師學員接受一項調查，以了解他們從事教學的動機及承擔感。調查顯示，他們從事教學工作的動機有三個因素：分別是「內在/利他」、「外在/工作條件」和「受他人的影響」，其中以「內在/利他」動機最強。另外，調查發現有四個因素影響教師對教學的承擔和投入感，分別是「學生的學習和學校發展」、「對教學要求和學校的運作」、「選擇教學為職業」、「師生互動和態度」。分析影響教師對教學的承擔因素有支持及令人沮喪元素，它們和校長及同事的支援、學生學習成果、行為及學習態度、家長要求及教育改變有關。上述所有因素值得教育有關人士留意，並運用適當措施處理。皮爾遜相關分析顯示「內在/利他」動機和前述四項承擔因素有明顯相關，啟示「內在/利他」動機對教師教學工作承擔的重要性，值得學校和大學師範機構在挑選職前和在職教師學員時作參考。
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

A study of teachers' feelings about school life is important for educational administrators and policy makers since school life will determine what teachers feel, which in turn determine what teachers do. When more literature on teachers 'school life and feelings accumulates, understandings of school processes and how to improve school will be better. An instrument, Teachers' School Life Questionnaire, was developed for this study. LISREL and multilevel modeling techniques were used to analyse the data obtained from a sample of554 teachers from 44 secondary schools. The major findings of the study indicate that school characteristics had more effects on teachers' school life than did teacher characteristics and the four subscales of teachers 'feelings about school life were in a causal order as: order and discipline, sense of community, job satisfaction and teacher commitment with the former variable promoting the latter both directly and indirectly.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]