Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to explore women elementary teachers'
perceptions of how their decision to return to teaching part-time from a maternity
leave influences their professional and personal lives. The investigation focused on
the decisions surrounding a mother's choice to reenter the teaching profession parttime
in a field where each mother had previously been employed full-time.
A collective case study was undertaken based on an in-depth interview with
five mothers who had made the choice to return to the classroom part-time. The data
collected in this study were analyzed and interpreted using qualitative methods.
The following four major themes emerged from the interviews: decisionmaking
process, challenges faced by mothers who teach part-time, the importance of
support, and the enhancement of instructional practice from parenthood. Using these
four themes, an analysis was conducted to examine the similarities and differences
among the experiences of the participants.
The mothers' reflections, my analysis, and the related literature were used at
the conclusion of this report to compile implications for teaching practice, theory, and
further research.
