Why rural teachers are in a poor working state: Double marginalization causes a lack of career identity and hope

Professional development for rural teachers is currently encountering numerous challenges, leading to poor working conditions characterized by a lack of hope. This condition affects not only the quality of rural education but also the physical and mental well-being and work efficiency of rural teachers themselves. To explore why rural teachers experience poor working conditions, 101 of them were surveyed using a questionnaire that covered double marginalization, teacher career identity, and dispositional hope, and the results show the following. 1) Rural teachers' poor work conditions are associated most strongly with double marginalization. 2) Career identity is an important mediating variable of double marginalization and hope for rural teachers. 3) The double marginalization faced by male teachers in rural areas compared to their female counterparts significantly amplifies the lack of hope. 4) Particularly pronounced is the lack of hope resulting from the double marginalization of rural teachers with less than 15 years of experience when compared to those with careers of 26 or more years. Building on these findings, interventions are proposed in three key areas: (i) reducing the double marginalization of rural teachers, (ii) strengthening career identity, and (iii) enhancing hope. These interventions offer feasible pathways tailored to the needs of educational administrators, teacher development departments, rural schools, and rural teachers themselves.