| Summary: | 碩士 === 東海大學 === 教育研究所 === 91 === The purpose of this research is to explore the meaning of pursuing professional continuing education. A qualitative interview was employed with six elementary school teachers who had just finished their graduate education.
The study found that teachers pursue graduate education with multiple internal and external motivations such as their career plans, desire for a sense of achievement, and increased salaries.
This study found that while in graduate school, teachers improve their professional knowledge, capability and attitude in various ways. They also experience personal growth and change, gain a new perspective on who they are, learn to be responsible for the knowledge they acquire, and enjoy fulfilling the desire to learn.
Once they return to teaching, teachers do their best to apply what they have obtained from graduate school to day to day teaching with regards to teaching, classroom management, interrelationships, and participation in outside classroom activities.
According to this research, eight primary meanings through the process of elementary school teachers to pursue master degrees were obtained：
（1）To enhance teachers’professional knowledge, ability, and attitude.
（2）To integrate theory and practice.
（3）To satisfy the varied motivations for teachers’pursuit of continuing education and fulfill the desire for learning.
（4）To help teachers develop new modes of thinking.
（5）To improve teachers’perspectives on their own teachings.
（6）To stimulate their potential, promote self-confidence, and allow themselves to unfold.
（7）Teachers who engage in graduate school study and apply what they learn with students broaden their students’ learning.
（8）Teachers who engage in graduate school study and apply what they learn assist the development of school organization.
Finally, suggestions to institutions of graduate education, school administrators, teachers, and future researchers are put forward for future reference.
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