The passion of teaching: learning from an older generation of teachers

This article reports on a qualitative small-scale case study that investigated whatpre-service teachers learned from a former generation of teachers about the contextand nature of teaching and teacher education during the 1950s and 1960s.Data comprised semi-structured interviews and a grounded theoretical approachwas used to analyse the data. A process of coding and re-coding of the dataresulted in the identification of emergent patterns and broad overarching themesand subthemes. Findings suggest that the pre-service teachers drew inspirationfrom the older teachers' emotional connection to the profession, and their ownpassion for teaching developed or intensified as they came to understand teachingas a rewarding lifelong career. It is suggested that mentor relationshipsbetween pre-service teachers and those from an older generation have the potentialto support novice teachers in developing a passion for teaching and, ultimately,resilience and longevity in the profession. Recommendations are madefor the inclusion in teacher education of opportunities for intergenerationallearning through such relationships.