Date of Conferral

7-25-2025

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Psychology

Advisor

Ethel Perry

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the educational landscape, significantly impacting middle school educators’ intrinsic motivation to teach. While research has extensively addressed the immediate impacts of the pandemic on education, there remains a gap in understanding how middle school educators make sense of their intrinsic motivation teaching experiences 4 years after the pandemic. Grounded in intrinsic motivation as the conceptual framework supported by the self-determination theory (SDT), the purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the intrinsic motivation teaching experiences of middle school educators 4 years after the pandemic. The central research question examined the lived experiences of intrinsic motivation in teaching among middle school educators 4 years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants comprised 10 middle school educators who have taught continuously since the pandemic’s onset. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and were analyzed using Smith and Nizza’s seven-step thematic analysis approach to identify patterns in how teachers made sense of their motivational experiences. Six themes emerged: Sustaining intrinsic motivation through student-centered purpose, Maintaining intrinsic motivation through competence building, Ability to adapt to change, Anchoring intrinsic motivation in professional identity and purpose, Sustaining intrinsic motivation by compartmentalizing external pressures, and Reinforcing intrinsic motivation through community and relationship-building Findings from this study can inform the development of targeted support strategies for maintaining teacher motivation and retention, ultimately contributing to positive social change through enhanced educational stability and effectiveness in middle schools during periods of significant disruption.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

 
COinS