TEACHERS’ COMMITMENT: AN OVERVIEW

'Commitment' is a powerful word. Teachers' Commitment is the key factor that influences the teaching- learning process. It is the psychological identification of the individual teacher with the learner, the subject matter and the objectives of teaching. Some teachers see their commitment as part of their professional identity, it defines them and their work and they 'get a lot of enjoyment from this' (Elliott and Crosswell, 2001). Other teachers' feel the demands of teaching to be significant, requiring great personal investment and view it as a job that can 'take over your life' (cited in Nias, 1981). These teachers often limit their commitment and their engagement with the school, as a means of survival. In some cases, these teachers choose to leave the profession altogether. No matter what the age is, the role of a teacher cannot be underestimated. Hence, things that affect the performance of a teacher, and in turn, the quality of education. At present it is felt that there is a decline in the quality of teaching. It is high time for empirically testing and analyzing the interface between commitment among teachers and their performance. It is indeed, the need of the hour. The present study explored the pervasive, yet often elusive, construct of commitment in educational environment setting.