“Radical Perseverance”: How Disillusioned Teachers Stay Committed by Redefining Their Purpose Post-Dual Pandemics

• In Event: 40821 - Community and Urban Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 19. Urban Education

Abstract

This longitudinal, qualitative study examines how urban educators who have grown disillusioned with the education system post-COVID sustain their commitment to teaching by redefining their professional purpose. Rather than simply persisting or leaving the profession, many reinvent their roles through acts of resistance, radical care, and reimagined measures of success. Drawing on three years of qualitative data from a subsample of 25 teachers of urban and Black students who remained in their roles—compared to 15 teachers who resigned—this study explores why and how educators in under-resourced schools reject conventional standards of achievement and instead prioritize student well-being, critical consciousness, and emotional safety. Participants, all teachers in the same mid-Atlantic region, included Black (25%), White (68%), Hispanic (4%), and multi-racial (4%) teachers, with 39% having 15+ years of experience. Data collection included 275 interviews, 14 focus groups, and over 260 hours of classroom observation. Findings reveal that disillusionment does not always lead to burnout—it can catalyze adaptive reinvention, where teachers reclaim their work as an act of resilience and transformation. Additionally, comparisons with teachers who resigned highlight key differences in coping strategies, institutional support, and perceptions of professional agency.

Author

• Marinda Kathryn Harrell-Levy, Pennsylvania State University-Beaver