If you can't do teach: Exploring short-termism in the teaching profession

This paper focuses on teacher motivation, and links short-term attitudes and behaviour among teachers to education quality. Using Sierra Leone as a case study, the data shows an overwhelming tendency for university graduates to use the teaching profession as a short-term option or stepping-stone to more desirable career paths. The paper thus hypothesises that in cases where teaching is viewed and utilised as a temporary undertaking, such short-termism negatively affects teacher performance, and ultimately student outcomes. Taken together, the physical presence and educational level of teachers are necessary conditions, but emotional and mental presence and commitment are also crucial factors in improving education quality. The paper thus offers a new interpretation which links teacher motivation and education quality.