It is your interest that matters: Motivation shapes career engagement patterns

There has been a plethora of international research on teacher motivations, and a significant literature has been accumulated about the different types of motivations for teaching. Despite this, a notable lack of longitudinal data remains, particularly those that examine the consequences of different motivational profiles (Richardson et al. 2006) and the strategies employed by teachers in furthering their professional growth. Moreover, while the target of studies on teacher professional development has usually been school teachers, the motivational profiles of teachers in higher education settings are relatively unexplored. The current chapter describes a qualitative study which looks into the career experience of three academics, through the use of biographical interviews, career profile records and the presentation materials in a seminar of the interviewees. The authors tap into the motivation(s) to teach among higher education teachers, and how their pursuit of their own interests and use of strategies shape their career profiles. Variations in the perception of their academic careers are identified. The results show two prototypes of career engagement patterns for practitioners in the academia: the Research Leads Teaching' and the Circular Processes of Research and Teaching'. This study is informative for academics (especially for those in their early careers), administrators and policy makers of higher education institutions, as it provides sample practices and suggestions that could support academics to excel in their jobs. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed. Copyright © 2015 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.