Thematic Analysis Exercise

Thematic Analysis Exercise
On the following pages you will find responses from 50 teachers who were asked the question, “What major
factors lead you into teaching?”
Your task is to read over the responses and determine the factors that seem to predominate. What reasons are
included in these responses?
 Read through all the responses.
 Look at closely related wordings from several responses and generate a code that is not mentioned
explicitly.
 Now write the codes in the columns beside the responses. Remember a response can have a number
of codes.

Responden
t
No.
What major factors lead you into teaching? Code here
1 I felt I could make a difference in childrens lives and teach
them effectively.
Talent
Teach effectively
Making a difference
6 Coaching, summer vacation, my love of working with kids Subject
Holiday
Love working with kids
12 I decided to go into teaching for several reasons. I love
children, I feel I have a natural gift to teach children, and it's a
great job for moms with children at home because of the
schedule.
Love children
Talent for it
Great job for moms
schedule
15 My husband died when I was 35 years old. I was content with
staying at home and raising our son. I realized I needed to do
something with my life. Going to school allowed me to be at
home when my son was there. Also, I saw how he was judged
by coming from
Self- motivation
Schedules
Life changes
compact
20 Helping kids, teaching science. Helping kids
subject
36 Love kids, always babysat Love kids
Experience
40 The fervor that my high school band director had for teaching
motivated me most.
Mentor
Role model
46 I enjoyed teaching swim lessons while in high school to
preschoolers. I ended up teaching middle school when I
discovered I didn't have the talent to teach the same students
all day.
Previous experience
Talent
49 Actually the very good and the very bad teachers I had were
factors that led me into teaching. Another major factor was
that I truly enjoyed high school.
Enjoy school as a kid
Previous experience with
teachers
50 I enjoy the learning process. I also like working with kids and
wasn't ready for the business world.
Eminisic value
Like working with kids
51 My lover of music and the desire to show others the joy music
can bring. I also enjoyed working with children.
Love of music
Talent
Subject
Enjoy working with kids
54 The need for employment. My original bachelor's is
chemistry. With no job prospects available in the field,
teaching seemed a good place to be (funny how destiny
works).
Employment
teaching
job prospects
57 A teacher I had in school, the subject area, and I come from a
long line of teachers.
School
teachers
64 I participated as a peer tutor in high school with students with
disabilities and enjoyed it. The teacher for the class was a
positive role model. I have always liked working with
children so it made sense.
High school
students with disabilities
positive role model
69 My desire to help and guide children, along with my love for
children led me into teaching.
Help and guide
Children teaching.

71 Being able to explain mathematical concepts to others easily.
Mathematical concepts
73 I like working with people, especially kids. I like having an
impact on the future of our world. I am well rounded; I knew
teaching involves many facets of other careers.
Kids
Future of our world
Teaching
74 Love of reading, summer off, father is a high school
administrator, enjoy being around kids.
Love of reading
administrator
77 Love of kids and content area, enjoy social dynamics of the
classroom setting
content area
social dynamics
80 A need/want to help others, love of learning and for children,
helping create that lightbulb over someone's head when they
finally get it.
help others
children
create that lightbulb
81 I love the working with children. I love the language (ASL). Love
children
language
83 Ability to impact lives, make a difference, improve lives, also
fondness of subject.
Ability
fondness of subject
85 Most of the teachers I had in school went out of their way to
help me do good in school.
Teachers
school
went out
88 I wasn't happy interviewing for and planning to be in various
kinds of sales. It didn't offer any intrinsic values. I hung out in
Bloomington trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my
BA in journalism and my business minor.
Planning
kinds of sales
business minor.
100 Desire to work with kids, amount of business classes taken
prior to choosing education, school calendar - time with own
children, same schedule.
work with kids
school calendar
same schedule
105 Summers off important when raising family, dealing with
children
Summers off
children
108 I love to instruct. Weekends, holidays with my family. I was a
nurse for 10 years before I became a teacher.
Instruct
Weekends
family
110 High school teacher
High school teacher
112 The ability to work with other people was one of my strengths
as a person.
Working with people
Strength
121 Family background, desire to help kids, coaching Background
coaching
123 My parents - they were both teachers, love of children, I
thought teaching looked like it would be a fun and enjoyable
career
occupation
124 Learning new things is my passion. passion
125 Hours - Summer off - vacations with my children are the
same. Also, love working with children.
Holiday
Love working with
children
126 The students. Making an impact in young peoples' lives. Students
young
peoples
128 Making a difference in children's lives. The ability to be with
my children as they grow. My love for children.
Talent
Love for children