How cohesion matters: Teachers and their choice to work at an orthodox Protestant school

Teachers’ opinions are barely examined or involved in debates about school choice, although they are significant. In-depth interviews with 16 teachers revealed three interests for choosing to work at orthodox Protestant primary schools: experiencing education as inseparable from Christian socialization, feeling comfortable in the school’s religious climate, and valuing cohesion in children’s educational environments. Cohesion is a core theme, which corresponds with parents’ motives for choosing orthodox Protestant schools for their children. Teachers prefer cohesion for their pupils, but also for themselves. The significance of cohesion is influenced by several religious, pedagogical, and formational factors.