A Transcendental Phenomenology: The Lived Experience and Descriptions of Teacher Motivation – The Essence of Economic and Occupational Satisfaction

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the multifaceted lived experiences of teachers’ motivations that influence occupational satisfaction in a small, rural school district in a state in the Southern United States. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s motivational theory, as the philosophy explains teachers’ motivations to satisfy their occupational needs. The central research question was\: How do the lived experiences of teachers’ motivation influence occupational satisfaction in a small, rural school district within the Southern United States? The chosen design for this study was a transcendental phenomenology because of the social meaning and personal significance of teacher motivation and satisfaction. The chosen site and sample of participants were teachers of Hope County School District because they met the criteria of the sample. All necessary permissions were obtained, and then the data were triangulated through individual interviews, journals, and focus groups. Data analysis occurred throughout the research process, following the analysis methodology of Moustakas, discovering the meanings and essences of the phenomena through Epochè, transcendental phenomenological reduction, and imaginative variation. Results found that teachers’ motivational drive in satisfying occupational needs is through the teacher–student bond, which is their occupation purpose; teachers’ passion for students drives them, while many elements outside of the student, like disconnection with administration, parents, and the community, are what discourages teachers.