The following statement of purpose is written by an applicant who got accepted to Masters’s program in teaching and education. Variations of this SOP got accepted at University of Florida, University of Saskatchewan, and University of Edinburgh. Read this essay to understand what a top statement of purpose in teaching and education should look like.

Sample Statement of Purpose in Teaching and Education

“De khazay the para yak or dai ya gor dai” is a proverb in Pushto that means, “For a woman, there is either the house or the grave.” I used to hear this daily from the dwellers of Mingora (Swat), the hometown of Malala Yousafzai, while teaching as an intern at the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD). I volunteered to teach college students in Swat out of interest after requesting the head of my undergraduate department to allow me to work outside of my home country, Ethiopia.

Moreover, I had to persuade the General Manager of NCHD, who repeatedly declined my plea to teach in Swat, claiming that it would be too raucous a place for women to work. Immediately upon arriving in Swat, I started facing overwhelming gender discrimination. I felt invisible. Whenever I asked questions from the natives, they always responded to my male counterparts. Even the women in Swat raised their eyebrows at me, wondering what I was doing there. Each day I wanted to quit, but then I challenged myself. The initial days were excruciating, but I plodded along.

While working in Swat, I gained insight into the profound implications of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) number 2 and 3, which aim to achieve universal primary education and empower women. Not only that, but I also arranged health camps for the anaemic women who used to seek treatment at local shrines. Moreover, I educated them on the importance of medical healthcare. These experiences helped me realize the importance of education in the development of society. As a result, I have always wanted to contribute my share to developing third-world countries by reforming and formulating teaching methodologies that will improve educational disparities.

During my undergrad, the subject of education development intrigued me when I learned about the policies that led to the acute disparities between East and West. The essay “Seven Sins of Economic Planners” captivated my imagination. I was exposed to the most dynamic feature of a policy, which is its inbuilt merits and demerits that play a pivotal role in shaping not only the economic performance but also the social and political patterns of a country. For instance, a policy that funds the poor with support programs or supports the systemic transfer of money from poor to rich provides no incentives for the poor to work hard. On the contrary, if a policy focuses on providing the poor with opportunities to earn, they are likely to lead fulfilling lives. When policies unfold, they affect billions of people. An entire nation depends on its education policies.

I want to do a master’s in teaching and education in the USA because it is the melting pot of world cultures and ethnicities. While on the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in the United States, I made long-lasting friends. One of the reasons that I am applying to the US is that it will give me three years on OPT, which I can utilize to gain professional work experience in my proposed field of study to gain further hands-on exposure. In addition, I will have the experience of attending lectures by eminent and inspiring scholars in teaching and policy formulations, which will broaden my vision of the ongoing global educational issues.

I want to pursue a master’s to enhance my understanding of educational policy challenges and problems teachers face. I also want to gain in-depth knowledge on formulating teaching strategies that increase equality in the education system and understand how one can achieve social justice by developing effective education methodologies. I want to use my prior community experiences to formulate and modify education policies. For instance, if a literacy centre is to be set up for young girls in a place where women’s education is considered taboo, the best approach to set it up would be through the communal involvement of the parents, the local preacher, or someone influential in the area.

Upon my return to Ethiopia, I plan to work with the UNDP Ethiopia Accelerator Lab as a teacher. I want to pursue my passion for teaching, one of the noblest professions. I want to inspire the youth of Ethiopia the way some of my excellent teachers inspired me by teaching them all about educational policies. If I can inspire one student who sets out to follow, working for what I am passionate about, I will feel successful.