Junior sociology major Madeline Cope’s first conference was more than just attending a few workshops.

She presented sociology professor Dr. Alicia Walker’s research on “martyrdom mentality” within the K-12 teaching profession at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 3-6, 2024.

This was Cope’s first time to present at a conference.

“I have felt a range of emotions about presenting, from stress and anxiety to excitement and optimism,” she admitted. “After giving this presentation, however, I entirely feel the latter.”

Cope’s work on the project counts toward her completion of the sociology program’s Social Science Research Certificate. The certificate will facilitate her long-term career goal of becoming a professional social researcher.

Gaining valuable research and professional experience

“Being the Martyr: K-12 Classroom Teachers Dismissing Concerns of Low Pay as a Part of the Sacrifice of Teaching,” investigated the current experience of teachers.

The project—and its research data—are Walker’s work. Walker recently received the 2024 Judy Award for outstanding research in the social sciences.

“I came up with the idea because I used to be a middle and high school English teacher,” Walker explained. “I left K12 to pursue my PhD.”

“With all of the discussion of teachers exiting the field, I wanted to investigate the role of teacher pay in those decisions,” she added.

Walker encouraged Cope to take an active role in acquiring and analyzing data, noting that it is common practice to give students conference experience by presenting and discussing research.

“Madeline works as my research assistant,” Walker explained. “She analyzed the data and presented our findings at the conference.”

“Because of this opportunity I’ve been granted, I feel more prepared to enter the field of sociology after graduation,” Cope said.

Identifying “martyrdom mentality”

As part of the project’s methodology, Cope used Zoom to interview seven current teachers and seven former teachers whose teaching experienced ranged from 6-38 years.

She and Walker observed a common theme of “martyrdom mentality” occurring throughout the data.

In one illustrative example, Cope noted that several research participants described being held to high standards while not receiving fair compensation for those standards, as well as being shamed for asking for pay increases.

“Teachers are expected to enter the profession with certain degrees and certifications, but their salaries are not equivalent to other fields of work that require a similar amount of credentials,” Cope said.

“Teachers expressed ways they felt this shame from other people, such as being questioned for their dedication to their job when they expressed a desire for pay raises,” she added.

“This stereotype detaches us from the reality that teachers are human,” she continued. “It enforces the martyrdom mentality on teachers by shaming them for wanting or needing the money they earn from working.”

Research sheds light on how to help teachers going forward

Both Cope and Walker hope this research can be used to help teachers.

“The biggest theme framing the martyrdom mentality is teachers’ frustration with the stigma that teachers teach because they love the job and not for the money,” Cope said. “While these teachers do have passion for the work they do, they’re also forced to work for a livable wage like the rest of us.”

The research may help address the problem of teachers leaving the profession, Cope suggested.

“If we stop accepting low teacher pay as something inevitable, perhaps we can work to improve teacher compensation and change the situation,” she said.

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