Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faculty Publications Article Faculty Publications -Articles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ved, Avni S; Kareem, Jacqueline Title A name given to the resource What Keeps Secondary School Teachers Motivated? A Qualitative Study from Urban Indian Classrooms Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 01-01-2026 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived International Journal of Educational Reform; Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879261419029" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879261419029</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105030087536?origin=resultslist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105030087536?origin=resultslist</a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Ved A.S., School of Education, Christ University, Bangalore, India; Kareem J., School of Education, Christ University, Bangalore, India Description An account of the resource Teacher motivation is widely recognized as central to instructional quality and teacher retention, yet limited research has examined how it is experienced and sustained within policy-driven, high-pressure school systems. This qualitative study explores how secondary school teachers in Bengaluru, India, understand and maintain motivation in their everyday professional practice. Drawing on six in-depth interviews and reflexive thematic analysis, five interrelated drivers were identified: student engagement, emotional connection, instructional autonomy, collegial support, and recognition. Teachers described motivation not as a stable trait, but as a dynamic process continually shaped through relationships, daily pedagogical decisions, mentoring roles, creative planning, and small acts of professional agency. By foregrounding teachers lived experiences, the findings complement large-scale motivation research and offer insight into how motivation is relationally constructed and negotiated within structural constraints. The study underscores the importance of school environments that protect autonomy, acknowledge emotional labour, and cultivate trust as conditions for sustaining long-term teacher engagement. The Author(s) 2026 Subject The topic of the resource collegial support; educational policy; professional autonomy; secondary education; Teacher motivation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available SAGE Publications Inc. Relation A related resource ISSN: 10567879; Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Article Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource online