Journal of Academic Research 02:3(2017), pp. 18-29 1. Introduction It has been said by many that teachers build a nation and teaching is thought to be the noblest among all professions. Therefore, to meet this expectation, the country seeks quality among teachers. In this sense, a teacher has to update professionally, personally and be rightfully motivated and committed so he/she could discharge his/her diverse tasks and responsibilities with efficiency and effectiveness. Teachers‟ work is sophisticated and multifaceted and occurs in contexts that are demanding and “emotionally and intellectually challenging” (Day, 2005, p. 13). As such, teaching is a profession that requires personal commitment to maintain enthusiasm for being actively involved in the work (Day, 2004). The term commitment is often used when describing desirable attributes of a teacher. It is a word often used to differentiate those "caring" and "dedicated" teachers from those who put their interests and needs first (Nias, 1989). Some teachers see their commitment as part of their professional identity, it defines them, and their work and they gain satisfaction and “ a lot of enjoyment from this” (Elliott & Crosswell, 2001,p.7) Teacher commitment is a crucial phenomenon to understand due to its intimate connection with concepts such as quality of teaching, teacher adaptability, teacher attendance, teacher burnout, teacher retention, organizational “health” of the school, and student attitudes and learning Abstract: A teacher has to update professionally, personally and be rightfully motivated and committed so he/she could discharge his/her diverse tasks and responsibilities with efficiency and effectiveness. This study aimed to investigate the career motivations and commitment among pre-service teachers to recommend plans for action along teacher education profession. Using descriptive mixed method design, a total of 255 pre-service teachers were employed in the study. Based on the results, it was found out that pre- service teachers are highly motivated and committed to teaching. Moreover, extrinsic motivation factors drive these pre-service teachers while intrinsic or altruistic factors dominate among the commitment to pursue a teaching career. This result sheds light on career plans and programs for teacher education. Keywords: Teaching career, teaching profession, career factors, teaching as vocation Motivation and Commitment to Teaching among Pre-service Teachers of a State University in Samar, Philippines Nora L. Lopez*, Elmer A. Irene College of Education, Samar State University, Philippines Nora.lopez@ssu.edu.ph@yahoo.com