Understanding the motivations of volunteer teachers in sustaining a community-based art education programme for rural-to-urban migrant children in China

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in community-based art education (CBAE) programmes targeting underprivileged groups. The sustainability of these programmes largely hinges on the level of commitment and engagement demonstrated by the volunteer teachers. Drawing on altruistic and egoistic motivations as the primary components of volunteer behaviour, this study explored the types of motivations and influencing factors driving the involvement of four volunteer teachers in a CBAE programme for rural-to-urban migrant children residing in a manufacturing city in China. Using a multiple-case study design, data were collected over 6 months, from April to September 2022, through semi-structured interviews, long-term participant observations and document analysis. The study findings revealed that all participants shared an altruistic motivation to address educational equity and positively impact the lives of migrant children through their engagement in the CBAE programme. In addition to altruistic motivations, two participants exhibited intrinsic motivations, as they derived personal satisfaction from teaching art and sharing the local culture. Meanwhile, the remaining two participants demonstrated extrinsic motivations driven by external factors such as employment demands and career development. The data further indicated that the volunteer teachers' prior artistic experiences, and their current positions and responsibilities, significantly shaped their sustained motivations towards the CBAE programme. Identifying personal and contextual factors that influence motivations to volunteer and leveraging migrant students' Funds of Knowledge are vital for successful CBAE programmes. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s).