Identifying motivation profiles among individuals choosing a teaching career: associations with perceptions of the teaching profession and teachers’ agency

This study explored motivation profiles among individuals choosing a teaching career and their association with perceptions of the teaching profession and teachers’ agency. Questionnaires were administered to basic school teachers in Ghana, with a sample size of 574. Latent profile analysis, a suitable statistical method for analysing the motivation profiles of individuals choosing a teaching career, was employed to produce accurate and reliable results. The results revealed four distinct motivation profiles. Moreover, the findings indicated that demographic variables significantly predicted teachers’ motivation profiles. Teachers’ motivation profiles were also associated with perceptions of the teaching profession and teachers’ agency. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are addressed, and limitations are highlighted.