• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.359-371
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• 2017

This study qualitatively examined the lives of non-tenured, secondary school teachers who are preparing for the teachers' exam. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with ten teachers and the data were analyzed using the consensual qualitative research method. Most of the participants had chosen a contract-based teaching position, believing that it would meet their financial needs, provide them with the satisfaction of being a teacher and, more importantly, afford practical help with their exam preparation. In practice, however, they suffered from low self-esteem and identity confusion due to discrimination by the school administrators. Ironically, this unfair treatment strengthened the participants' commitment to studying for the exam, in order to acquire a stable and secure position in school. However, they experienced a lot of study-related stress, including a lack of study hours, heavy study load, multiple life roles, physical exhaustion, the difficulties caused by the vague exam guide, and anxiety due to previous failure in the exam. Based on the findings of this study, directions for future research are suggested.