Bruno De Lièvre

Reasons why teaching professionals continue or resume university study in the Wallonia–Brussels Federation: knowledge for its own sake? Economics? Altruism?

ABSTRACT Preparing candidates for the rigours of the teaching profession represents a major challenge for educational systems, begging the question of whether the opportunity for professional educators to further their own university education represents, to them, a way of developing their teaching skills (intrinsic motivation), a means of earning a higher salary (extrinsic motivation), or a means of increasing their usefulness to society through their involvement in education (altruistic motivation). This study aims at answering this question with regard to higher education institutions in the Wallonia–Brussels Federation in French-speaking Belgium, and, specifically, in the case of the University of Mons. That question is particularly relevant in this specific environment given that though continued university study is not compulsory for teachers, earning an additional degree does entitle those professionals to a higher salary. This study shows that while the decision to resume university study can be in response to a number of different factors, the deciding factors are more often extrinsic than intrinsic or altruistic.