Teachers’ views of their school climate and its relationship with teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction

The purpose of this study, in part, was to confirm the factor structure of the School-Level Environment Questionnaire, which assesses six school climate factors that can be considered important for improving schools. The study also tested a research model of the relationships between the school climate, teachers’ self-efficacy and job satisfaction. The participants included 781 Western Australian high-school teachers in 29 schools. When the data were analysed by means of structural equation modelling, teacher self-efficacy and teacher job satisfaction were both related to school climate dimensions and there was also a relationship between teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction. These results provide practical information for improving school climate and suggest that it is worthwhile for school principals to consider factors within the school climate and how they might be enhanced.     

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.     

Organizational climate and teachers' job satisfaction in a multi-cultural milieu: The case of the Bedouin Arab schools in Israel

This study examines the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational climate in the elementary schools of the Bedouin Arab community in southern Israel. The school represents a relatively new organization, of Western origin, in this very traditional Arab community, which is now a part of the modern, western-oriented state of Israel. The job satisfaction questionnaire used in this study was based upon Wanous and Lawler's [Wanous, J. P. and Lawler, E. E. III (1972) Measurement and meaning of job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology 56, 95–105] questionnaire, and the organizational climate questionnaire was based upon Horowitz and Zak's [Horowitz, T. and Zak, I. (1979) Recruiting Patterns, Attrition and Persistence in Teaching. The Szold Institute, Publication No. 585, Jerusalem, Israel (in Hebrew)] questionnaire. All Negev Bedouin elementary schools were included in the study. Based on the factor analysis, two job satisfaction factors and five organizational climate factors emerged. The results revealed teachers' satisfaction with work itself as the dominant job satisfaction factor, and principal leadership as the dominant organizational climate factor. The findings of the multiple regression further revealed that: (1) the organizational climate factors of principal leadership and autonomy on the job were significantly related to teachers' satisfaction with work itself; and (2) the interaction between principal leadership and teachers' intimacy was significantly related to both job satisfaction factors (work itself and social needs).     

东亚高绩效四国教师工作满意度及其影响因素--基于TALIS数据的多水平分析

本研究基于TALIS 2013调查数据,构建多水平数据模型,实证东亚地区中国上海、日本、新加坡和韩国的教师环境满意度和职业满意度及其影响因素。研究发现:教师有效专业发展和教师合作对中国上海、日本、新加坡和韩国的教师工作满意度有显著正向预测作用;学校层面的相互尊重氛围对中国上海、日本、新加坡的教师工作满意度有显著正向预测作用。设计有效的专业发展活动,开展多种形式的教师合作,并营造相互尊重的人际关系氛围,是提升教师工作满意度的路径。     

Teacher attitudes and behavior toward the inclusion of children with social,emotional and behavioral difficulties in mainstream schools: An application of the theory of planned behavior

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to examine relationships between teacher attitudes and behavior toward children with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD). One hundred and eleven elementary school teachers completed questionnaires. Teacher perception of their school principals' expectations (subjective norm) predicted teacher behaviors. Teachers who had attended more in-service training (INSET) sessions held more positive feelings, but teachers with more experience were less willing to work with children with SEBD. Findings suggest that school principals have a central role in promoting an inclusive ethos within their schools. INSET could focus more on challenging beliefs.     

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.     

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.     

Understanding teacher morale and job satisfaction

This article contributes to the study of teacher morale and job satisfaction. It presents, as a case study, findings of the author's research into staff morale and job satisfaction at an English Primary school. The effects on individual teachers of prevailing, context-specific circumstances and of specific events are described, highlighting the importance, as morale and job satisfaction determinants, of factors such as leadership and individuals' professionality orientations, relative perspectives and realistic expectations.     

Ways of composing teaching teams and their impact on teachers’ perceptions about collaboration

The present study examined the impact of teacher team composition on characteristics and attributes regarded as necessary for effective cooperative teaching. The study focused on potential differences between self-selected teacher teams and teams composed by the school administration. The central assumptions were that teachers working in self-selected teacher teams show more positive ratings of enjoyment, shared responsibility, job satisfaction and collective self-efficacy expectations than teachers who worked in institutionally composed teams. In order to investigate these hypotheses, an online survey was created. 321 language arts teachers participated in the survey. MANCOVA revealed significant differences in the dimensions ‘shared responsibility’ and ‘enjoyment with the co-teaching process’, where teachers from self-selected teaching teams showed significantly more positive ratings. These results support the assumption that self-selection of the team-mate is helpful for establishing compatible teaching teams, but does not necessarily lead to a higher quality of collaborative teaching.     

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 Effects of Job Benefits and Job Experience on Teacher Ratings of the Job of School Council Member

This article reports the results of an empirical study examining whether the benefits of school council service function as incentives for teachers to seek the position. Public school teachers (N = 132) read a recruitment message depicting the financial awards and informal rewards accruing to council members and indicated the likelihood that they would seek the position. Analysis of variance revealed that categories of job benefits (pecuniary, nonpecuniary) interacted with teacher job experience (relatively inexperienced, experienced) to influence teacher ratings of the recruitment message. Teachers with 10 years or fewer than 10 years teaching experience reacted more positively to recruitment messages emphasizing pecuniary job benefits than did teachers with more than ten years teaching experience. The results have implications for policies designed to restructure the educational workplace.     

Consultation outcome as a result of in-service resource teacher training

The effects of learning disabilities teacher training for consultation with classroom teachers were investigated. Twelve learning disabilities resource teachers and 60 elementary school classroom teachers within one school system served as subjects. Four learning disabilities resource teachers received communication skills training, and four resource teachers received conceptual assumptions training. In addition, four resource teachers served as a control group for the study. Each resource teacher conducted three 20- to 30-minute conferences with each of five elementary school teachers. Following the third conference, information was collected concerning: (a) classroom teacher ratings of satisfaction with services, (b) joint ratings of the child's progress toward goals set during the first conferences, (c) the percentage of recommendations implemented, and (d) classroom teacher ratings of joint responsibility, and of resource teacher respect, empathy, and congruence. There were three findings in this study. First, no differences resulting from either type of training were found at posttest for classroom teacher respect, resource teacher congruence, joint responsibility, or joint ratings of the child's progress. Second, training resource teachers in communication skills resulted in significantly higher classroom teacher ratings of resource teacher empathy. Finally, significant differences due to resource teacher experiences prior to this study were noted with classroom teacher ratings of the child's progress, and the number of recommendations implemented.     

Stress in Teaching: a study of occupational stress and its determinants,job satisfaction and career commitment among primary schoolteachers

A questionnaire survey of 710 Maltese primary schoolteachers revealed that the level of teacher stress, job satisfaction and career commitment was constituted differently in some of the teacher demographic subgroups. A principal components analysis of the stress ratings of 20 items covering various aspects of the teacher's work environment yielded four factors described in terms of ‘pupil misbehaviour’, ‘time/ resource difficulties’, ‘professional recognition needs’ and ‘poor relationships’. Teacher sex and ability‐group taught interacted significantly with the stress factors. Results also showed that teachers who reported greater stress were less satisfied with their job and less committed to choose a teaching career were they to start life over again. Moreover, the association between the general measure of job stress and the stress due to each of the four stress factors was strongest for ‘pupil misbehaviour’ and ‘time/resource difficulties’. Of the four factors, ‘professional recognition needs’ had the strongest inverse relationship with job satisfaction and career commitment.     

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.     

A 30-Year Scoping Review of the Physical Education Teacher Satisfaction Literature

While stress has always been present in the teaching profession, recent trends such as standardized testing and school and teacher accountability may be making teachers’ work more stressful. Teacher satisfaction research has emerged as a popular lens through which to understand how teachers experience their work. This scoping review sought to summarize the literature related to physical education teacher satisfaction published between 1987 and 2016. A total of 20 articles that reported research from 11 different countries were identified for inclusion. Thematic analysis of the study results led to the construction of four themes: (a) levels of physical education teacher satisfaction vary by level and context; (b) demographic variables do not reliably predict satisfaction; (c) intrinsic and psychosocial variables influence job satisfaction; and (d) the workplace and interpersonal relationships influence job satisfaction. Results are discussed and recommendations provided, particularly related to a theoretical basis for future research and methodological diversity.     

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。     

北京市小学教师工作满意度实证研究

本研究运用问卷方法对北京市1308名小学教师进行调查,发现:第一,北京市小学教师的总体工作满意度达到了较高水平,且教师内在满意度显著高于教师外在满意度。第二,北京市小学教师工作的内在、外在和总体满意度在人口学变量上存在显著差异,表现为:薄弱校教师满意度高于优质校和中等校;男教师满意度高于女教师;学校干部的满意度高于任课教师,副科教师满意度高于主科教师;低年级教师满意度高于中高年级教师;新入职教师与老教师满意度高于中年教师;教师的职称越高,满意度越高。在原因分析的基础上,提出了政策建议。     

The relationship between school’s organizational climate and teacher’s job satisfaction: Malaysian experience

The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between school organizational climate and teachers’ job satisfaction. A quantitative survey method was applied, and three broadly hypothesized relationships were tested with a sample of 245 teachers from six government secondary schools in district of Penampang, Sabah, Malaysia. The instrument used in this study was the modified version for combination of two questionnaires: Organizational Climate Index and the Teachers’ Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. The findings indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between school organizational climate and teachers’ job satisfaction. The teachers in this study were found to be fairly satisfied with their job, with the responsibility factor as the biggest contributor to job satisfaction. This study found that there is no significant difference in levels of job satisfaction between the teachers’ gender (male and female). Based on the years of service in their current school, there was a statically significant difference in the level of job satisfaction among the teachers. These findings revealed that the secondary schools in Sabah have a positive and open climate, with the professional teachers’ behaviour factor as the biggest contributor. The results of this study indicate the necessity to provide positive organizational climate and up keeping teachers’ job satisfaction by policy makers and principals with hope in enhancing the quality of schools in Malaysia.     

Characteristics of male elementary teachers in the U.S.A., at teacher education program entry and exit

This article reports on two studies that describe the status of male elementary preservice and inservice teachers. One study looked at entering teacher candidates, describing differences between males entering elementary education and other teacher candidates, at three universities in the U.S.A. (n = 936), with three sets of variables: (1) high school background, (2) self-confidence in teaching, and (3) expectations for teacher education. The second study looked at practicing male elementary school teachers who were recent graduates of teacher education programs at 12 different universities (n = 1098), with three sets of variables: (1) career status, (2) ratings of teacher education program quality, and (3) self-evaluation of teaching knowledge and skills. Male elementary candidates were less academically oriented, more self-confident about teaching, and less optimistic about usefulness of courses than other subgroups of entering teacher candidates. Male elementary teachers had lower job satisfaction and less favorable opinions of their teacher education programs than other subgroups of teachers, but were just as sanguine about their level of teaching skill as were the other groups.     

Sense of School Community for Preschool Teachers Serving At-Risk Children

Research Findings: Challenging the development of high-quality preschool education is the instability of the preschool teacher workforce, blamed in part on workplace conditions including isolationism, perceived lack of career reward, and lack of preparation. Little attention has been given to whether a preschool's organizational climate can mitigate these challenges, despite demonstrated workplace climate effects on teachers' attitudes, commitment, and practices in kindergarten–Grade 12 teachers. This study investigated preschool teachers' perceptions of a positive workplace climate (i.e., sense of school community); predictors of these perceptions (teacher qualifications and organizational features); and relationships among teachers' sense of community, classroom teaching quality, and attitudes toward teaching in a sample of 68 preschool teachers serving at-risk 4-year-olds. Overall, teachers provided high ratings for their sense of school community, although moderate interprogram variability and moderately large to large intraprogram variability existed. Teacher qualifications and preschool affiliation did not predict teachers' sense of community, but preschool size predicted perceptions of collegial support. Perception of collegial support and program influence was significantly related to positive attitudes toward teaching; only perceptions of program influence were related to classroom quality. Practice or Policy: We discuss the potentially important role of work environment in bolstering the quality and stability of the preschool teacher workforce.