Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
School of Education
First Advisor
Nicole Enzinger, PhD
Second Advisor
Candace Pelt, EdD
Abstract
Teacher attrition, declining job satisfaction, and increasing classroom challenges continue to affect the stability and effectiveness of K–12 public education. While research has consistently demonstrated positive outcomes associated with higher levels of hope among students, little is known about how teachers themselves perceive their own hopefulness or the role it plays in their professional practice. Without a clearer understanding of teacher hope, educational leaders and policymakers may overlook an important factor influencing teacher effectiveness and student outcomes. Guided by the theoretical framework of hope theory, which conceptualizes hope as the interaction of goal-oriented thinking, agency thinking, and pathways thinking, this study sought to illuminate how teachers understand and enact hope in their daily work with students. Within a narrative inquiry design, teachers in a rural public school district participated in semistructured interviews and reflective journal writing. Reflexive thematic analysis identified patterns in teachers’ narratives, revealing that teachers consistently described hope as a futurefocused orientation that sustains perseverance and shapes their instructional decisions, relationships with students, and professional identity. The findings suggest that teacher hope functions as both a personal mindset and an enacted professional stance that influences classroom culture and student experiences. Practical implications include supporting teachers’ hope through professional learning, mentorship, and school cultures that emphasize strengths and possibility. Future research may examine interventions designed to strengthen teacher hope and explore its relationship to teacher retention, instructional practices, and student outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Baxter, Brett J., "Agents of Hope: A Narrative Inquiry into the Lived Experience and Professional Practice of Teacher Hopefulness" (2026). Doctor of Education (EdD). 272.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/edd/272