The meaning of work from teachers’ perspectives: A qualitative inquiry in junior high schools

Teachers play a vital role in ensuring school success. At the junior high school level, they face diverse demands, including administrative tasks, curriculum requirements, and community expectations for student achievement. In this context, understanding the meaning of work is essential, as it influences teachers’ resilience in addressing professional challenges. This study explores how junior high school teachers construct the meaning of their work while navigating professional and psychological demands. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected from fifteen teachers through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically based on Steger’s framework of work meaning. Findings reveal that teachers interpret their work through three interrelated dimensions: positive meaning, meaning-making through work, and motivation for the greater good. They gain personal satisfaction and emotional fulfillment from observing student progress, reflecting on personal growth and values in daily teaching, and recognizing their contribution to broader social purposes. Despite facing various challenges, a strong sense of work meaning sustains intrinsic motivation, resilience, and commitment. The study highlights the importance of fostering meaningful work among teachers to enhance well-being and professional sustainability, while offering theoretical and practical contributions to educational contexts and implications for supportive policies.