The contradictions of human development nowadays are related to the educational environment, which is characterized by changes induced by globalization and modern technologies; therefore, the activation of the potential of personality is becoming increasingly important, which is impossible without the training of purposeful and motivated teachers at the institutions of higher education. The aim of the article is to analyze the opinions of students, pre-service preschool teachers, about teacher purposefulness in the context of sustainability. The research methodology includes the theoretical method -- the analysis of theoretical literature and the empirical method -- a survey of 271 pre-service teachers, i.e., 1st-year part-time students at the University of Latvia. The results of the study show that future preschool teachers' understanding of purposefulness is related to their life experiences and is formed in relation to the development of personal goals.