Modeling teacher empowerment: The role of job satisfaction

Empowerment is defined and measured in terms of teachers' power to participate in decision-making about teaching and learning conditions. Job satisfaction refers to the level of teacher satisfaction by matters related to these conditions: student achievement, decision-making ability, self-growth, and so on. This research considers the relationship between job satisfaction and teacher empowerment, which includes dimensions of job satisfaction that contribute to teacher empowerment. In particular, it examines the levels of teacher satisfaction in four dimensions (professional growth, decision-making, promotion, and status) and their contribution to the sense of teacher empowerment among Cypriot teachers. The results support the importance of job satisfaction in the construction of teacher empowerment. Specifically, (1) teachers' level of job satisfaction varies depending on the dimension of school life that is focused; (2) teachers' job satisfaction is related to teacher empowerment.     

Research on Job Satisfaction of Elementary and High School Teachers and Strategies to Increase Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction is an important topic in teacher education research. Exploring the issue of teacher job satisfaction helps us gain a deeper understanding of teachers' mental state, such as their occupational attitudes, zeal for teaching, and work enthusiasm, which affects the quality of teaching and education. From an examination of teachers' job satisfaction studies conducted in China (including Hong Kong) in the past ten years, we identified changes in job satisfaction among China's teachers and proposed suggestions that school and educational administrators may find relevant in their decision making and administration.     

普通民办中学教师专业发展意识的调查与述评

通过对淮安市两所规模较大的民办中学教师的专业发展意识现状的调查,发现了以下几个问题：大多数民办中学教师当教师的动机不纯正;教师工作满意度与所教学科密切;担任班主任的教师比没有担任班主任的专业技能好;民办中学教师参与校外培训进修活动时间少;民办中学教师专业发展自我感觉良好,多数教师选择维持现状。在此基础上提出了可行性建议。     

Satisfied teachers are good teachers: The association between teacher job satisfaction and instructional quality

Instructional quality is associated with better academic outcomes for students. This study aimed to investigate how teachers' job satisfaction was associated with clarity of instruction and cognitive activation as measures of instructional quality. In addition, we investigated whether this association between teachers' job satisfaction and instructional quality was mediated by teacher–student relationships. Drawing on the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), we compared participants from both Eastern (N = 27,106; Japan, Taipei, Korea, Shanghai) and Western sociocultural contexts (N = 20,209; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom). Multilevel structural equation modelling results indicated that teachers' job satisfaction was positively associated with instructional quality across Eastern and Western settings. The relationship between teachers' job satisfaction and instructional quality was partially mediated by better student–teacher relationships. There were some differences between the cultural settings in how job satisfaction correlated with clarity of instruction and cognitive activation. We suggest that these differences may be accounted for by cultural characteristics leading to different approaches to teaching. Our results suggest that teachers' job satisfaction and the quality of classroom-level relationships may be important indicators of positive instructional outcomes. While schools focus on student outcomes, they should also address teachers' job satisfaction and prioritise the importance of relationships between teachers and students in classrooms.     

Does teachers' cognitive self-regulation increase their occupational well-being? The structure and role of self-regulation in the teaching context

Cognitive self-regulation is assumed to foster teachers' occupational well-being (their level of emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction), which directly impacts the quality of their work. We investigated (1) the factor structure of teachers' cognitive self-regulation, (2) whether self-regulation fosters teachers' job satisfaction by reducing emotional exhaustion, and (3) whether this relationship is moderated by gender and school track. Structural equation modeling (N = 664 German secondary mathematics teachers) confirmed the hypothesized second-order factor structure of teacher self-regulation. The positive effect of cognitive self-regulation on job satisfaction is mediated by emotional exhaustion and can be generalized across gender and school track.     

The role of teacher and faculty trust in forming teachers' job satisfaction: Do years of experience make a difference?

This study relates trust at the level of both the teacher and the faculty to teachers' job satisfaction. Teaching experience is explored as a moderator of the trust–satisfaction relationship. Multilevel analyses on data of 2091 teachers across 80 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium) revealed positive associations between teacher trust in students, parents, colleagues, and the principal and satisfaction. Although faculty trust did not affect job satisfaction and teaching experience did not moderate the trust–satisfaction relationship, our findings highlight the social dimension of teaching. Improving the quality of teachers' social relationships in the workplace should enhance their job satisfaction.     

Perceptions of future and cur rent teachers on the organization of elementary schools: a dissonance approach to the investigation of job satisfaction

The study compares the satisfaction ratings of future and current elementary school teachers with respect to the main aspects of school organization and administration. Data were collected from 66 in-service teachers and 79 preservice teachers in Cyprus. The application of factor analysis on the data resulted in the identification of the following main dimensions of school organization: headmaster's role, school organization, school climate, teacher incentives/work conditions, inspector's role and teachers' role. The comparison of the satisfaction ratings of future and current teachers on the above factors produced the following findings: first, the ratings of the two groups differed significantly for the first four factors. Secondly, future teachers reported lower satisfaction ratings than their in-service counterparts in the headmaster's role, school organization and school climate factors and higher ratings on the teacher incentives/work conditions factor.These discrepancies are considered to constitute causes of concern for educational policy-makers. The high expectations of future teachers on the teacher incentives/work conditions factor are viewed as a probable subsequent cause of cognitive dissonance and job dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the low expectations of future teachers with respect to three factors (headmaster's role, school organization, school climate) are likely to reduce their initial enthusiasm for their job. The implications of the findings for teacher training programmes are discussed, and suggestions are made on ways of reducing discrepancies between the expectations of future teachers and the realities of the workplace.     

Sources of teacher job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in Cyprus

This paper aims to contribute to the limited literature on teacher job satisfaction in developing countries, especially in Cyprus. Drawing on interviews with 52 teachers and administrators in 17 schools, the paper describes the sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of Cypriot teachers and the impact on how teachers feel. Teachers emphasised their satisfaction with interactions with students, relationships held with colleagues and opportunities to contribute to the growth of individuals and the development of society. Sources of dissatisfaction were social problems and their impact on teachers' work, students' lack of interest and bad behaviour, the centralised educational system and the lack of professional autonomy in schools, and teacher evaluation and promotion prospects. Some of the factors are predictable but others are less so, having to do with the particular historical and social context in Cyprus. The context of a developing country is especially considered in an effort to explore how education officials may address issues of teacher satisfaction and dissatisfaction.     

Teachers’ occupational attributes and their psychological wellbeing,job satisfaction,occupational self-concept and quitting intentions

Little is known about the determinants of teachers' psychological wellbeing, job satisfaction, occupational self-concept and quitting intentions. In this paper, teachers' occupational attributes (i.e. professional and personal characteristics) were investigated as determinants. Henceforth, the Educator Motivation and Attribute Profile (EdMAP) scales were used to describe the nature of 1109 Hong Kong primary and secondary school teachers' occupational attributes. Furthermore, the relationships with the teacher outcomes were investigated. Construct validity and reliabilities of the EdMAP scales were satisfactory. The results showed positive associations between teachers’ occupational attributes and their wellbeing, job satisfaction, and self-concept, and negative associations with quitting intentions.     

Exploring the contributions of job resources,job demands,and job self-efficacy to STEM teachers' job satisfaction: A commonality analysis

This study aims to examine how job resources, demands, and self-efficacy affect American STEM teachers' job satisfaction by analyzing the US TALIS 2018 data. Multiple regression and commonality analysis were used to analyze factors' significant contributions and their detailed real unique and common contributions to STEM teachers' job satisfaction. The results show that the final model explains 29.6% of the variances of STEM teachers' job satisfaction. The commonality analysis further showed that job resources, job demands, and job self-efficacy explained 23.5%, 8.6%, and 8.0% of variances of job satisfaction, respectively. However, these factor sets uniquely contributed 15.9%, 2.9%, and 2.1% of the variance, separately. This study confirms the validity of the revised job demands−resources model for STEM teachers' job satisfaction. Furthermore, the commonality analysis reveals the unique and independent contributions of job demands, resources, and self-efficacy to job satisfaction. Results from the research identified the significance of job resources contributing to the improvement of STEM teachers' job satisfaction.     

Is the Effective Compromising the Affective?

This article draws on the evidence from two Economic and Social Research Council funded projects which examined the impact of policy on the lives of classroom teachers and the experience of their pupils. The PACE Project concentrated on English primary teachers, reviewing practice in the light of the successive waves of legislative change following the 1988 Education Reform Act. The ENCOMPASS Project was a cross‐cultural study which investigated the attitudes of pupils to schooling and the impact of policy on the work of secondary teachers in England, France and Denmark. Evidence from both projects suggested that teachers in England were concerned that externally imposed educational change had not only increased their workload but also created a growing tension between the requirements of government and the needs of their pupils. A perceived demand for a delivery of ‘performance’, for both themselves and their pupils, had created a policy focus that emphasised the managerially ‘effective’, in the interests of accountability, while ignoring teachers' deeply rooted commitment to the affective aspects of teaching and learning. This article reviews the main findings from both projects in relation to the current thrust of education policy‐making in England and its possible impact on teachers' work and job satisfaction. It also draws attention to the possible long‐term effects that such a focus could have on the quality of learning and the ability of pupils to engage with the necessary skills for lifelong learning.     

An analysis of burnout and job satisfaction among Turkish special school headteachers and teachers,and the factors effecting their burnout and job satisfaction

This study explores issues of burnout and job satisfaction among special school headteachers and teachers in Turkey. The purpose of the study is to determine whether there is a difference between headteachers' and teachers' burnout and job satisfaction in terms of work status, gender and work experiences, and to analyse the factors effecting their burnout and job satisfaction. In this paper, a quantitative approach has been used: 295 subjects (33 special school headteachers and 262 special school teachers) responded to the survey. As the research instruments, the Job Satisfaction Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to measure job satisfaction and burnout levels in terms of the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. The study results indicated that special school headteachers felt less personal accomplishment than special school teachers. However, there were no significant differences between headteachers and teachers on two burnout dimensions, namely emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and job satisfaction. In terms of gender, males have less emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment but higher depersonalization than their female counterparts. Females have higher job satisfaction than their male counterparts. In relation to their work experiences, more experienced subjects have higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization than their less experienced colleagues, and also less job satisfaction than less experienced counterparts. However, more experienced subjects who participated in the study felt higher personal accomplishment than the others.     

Teacher incentives in the Third World

Based on Kemmerer's earlier work on teacher incentives, this study examined the extent that teacher incentives (or the type that might be influenced by central ministries of education) were related to teachers' instructional practices and career satisfaction of junior secondary school teachers in Botswana. Results indicated that the level of incentives teachers received was meaningfully related to teachers' career satisfaction, but was not related to teachers' classroom teaching practices. Findings suggest that, while incentives to improve teachers' overall career satisfaction might stimulate teacher recruitment and encourage retention in teaching, those incentives would not necessarily lead to improved instructional practices.     

Job satisfaction and teacher–student relationships across the teaching career: Four case studies

We studied the development of teacher–student relationships and teachers' job satisfaction throughout the careers of four veteran teachers who retained high job satisfaction. Teacher data gathered with the narrative-biographical method were compared with students' perceptions of the teacher–student relationships, using the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction. Teachers' job satisfaction appeared positively related to the self-reported quality of the teacher–student relationships. Positive retrospective teacher perceptions did not always coincide with positive student perceptions. It appeared that teachers may have positive job satisfaction despite, in the eyes of the students, a poor teacher–student relationship.     

The Contribution of Completing Degree Studies to Teachers' Professional Development in Israel

This study examined an empirical model for predicting reported contribution of continuing education for teachers returning to college to complete academic degrees. Predictor variables included motives to resume degree studies, reasons for course selection and satisfaction with studies. Data are reported from 124 certified teachers enrolled in BEd degree programmes at an Israeli teachers college. The level of teachers' satisfaction could directly predict the degree to which they felt studies had contributed to their professional development. Reasons for course selection were indirectly related to contribution through their effect on satisfaction, whereas motives to study were not statistically related to other variables.     

Positive teacher–student relationships go beyond the classroom,problematic ones stay inside

The authors voice teachers' perceptions of their interpersonal experiences with students in both positive and problematic relationships. Interview data from 28 teachers were examined by coding utterances on teacher and student interactions. Results indicate that teachers defined the quality of the relationship mostly by the level of communion (friendly vs. hostile), instead of by the level of agency (in control vs. powerless). Analyses of mentioned teacher and student behavior show a friendly interactional pattern for positive relationships and a hostile pattern for problematic ones. In teachers' perceptions, positive and problematic relationships also differed in context where encounters take place and topic of talk. Contrary to interactions in problematic relationships, encounters in positive relationships were mostly situated outside the classroom context and conversations during these encounters covered a wide range of topics. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed.     

Sources of Job Satisfaction in Science Secondary School Teachers in Chile

The paper aims to augment the limited literature on teacher job satisfaction in developing countries, specifically in Chile. The nature of job satisfaction in Chilean secondary science teachers is investigated and causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction identified. Teachers mentioned most often their satisfaction with interactions with students, relationships held within the school and opportunities to contribute to the development of society, future generations or the individual. Sources of dissatisfaction are poor salary, excessive workload, student characteristics, resources and infrastructure. Associations between teachers' characteristics (age, gender, experience), the type of school administration and job satisfaction are also made and suggestions on how to address the issues of teacher satisfaction and dissatisfaction are discussed.     

Understanding teacher empowerment: Teachers' perceptions of principal's and immediate supervisor's empowering behaviours,psychological empowerment and work-related outcomes

This study examined the predictive relationships among teachers' perceptions of principal's and immediate supervisor's empowering behaviours, teachers' psychological empowerment and three teachers' work-related outcomes in terms of job satisfaction, organisational commitment and professional commitment. 304 teachers in Singapore participated in this study. Results from path analysis indicated that the four dimensions of psychological empowerment (i.e. ‘meaning’, ‘competence’, ‘autonomy’, and ‘impact’) mediated the relationships between teachers' perceptions of immediate supervisor's empowering behaviours and teachers' work-related outcomes. However, only ‘meaning’, ‘autonomy’ and ‘impact’ dimensions of psychological empowerment mediated the relationships between teachers' perceptions of principal's empowering behaviours and teachers' work-related outcomes.     

Teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout: A study of relations

The purpose of this study was partly to test the factor structure of a recently developed Norwegian scale for measuring teacher self-efficacy and partly to explore relations between teachers' perception of the school context, teacher self-efficacy, collective teacher efficacy, teacher burnout, teacher job satisfaction, and teachers' beliefs that factors external to teaching puts limitations to what they can accomplish. Participants were 2249 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modelling using the AMOS 7 program. Teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy and two dimensions of burnout were differently related both to school context variables and to teacher job satisfaction.     

The personal and professional selves of teachers: stable and unstable identities

In much educational literature it is recognised that the broader social conditions in which teachers live and work, and the personal and professional elements of teachers' lives, experiences, beliefs and practices are integral to one another, and that there are often tensions between these which impact to a greater or lesser extent upon teachers' sense of self or identity. If identity is a key influencing factor on teachers' sense of purpose, self‐efficacy, motivation, commitment, job satisfaction and effectiveness, then investigation of those factors which influence positively and negatively, the contexts in which these occur and the consequences for practice, is essential. Surprisingly, although notions of ‘self’ and personal identity are much used in educational research and theory, critical engagement with individual teachers' cognitive and emotional ‘selves’ has been relatively rare. Yet such engagement is important to all with an interest in raising and sustaining standards of teaching, particularly in centralist reform contexts which threaten to destabilise long‐held beliefs and practices. This article addresses the issue of teacher identities by drawing together research which examines the nature of the relationships between social structures and individual agency; between notions of a socially constructed, and therefore contingent and ever‐remade, ‘self’, and a ‘self’ with dispositions, attitudes and behavioural responses which are durable and relatively stable; and between cognitive and emotional identities. Drawing upon existing research literature and findings from a four‐year Department for Education and Skills funded project with 300 teachers in 100 schools which investigated variations in teachers' work and lives and their effects on pupils (VITAE), it finds that identities are neither intrinsically stable nor intrinsically fragmented, as earlier literature suggests. Rather, teacher identities may be more, or less, stable and more or less fragmented at different times and in different ways according to a number of life, career and situational factors.