Analysis of job satisfaction of university professors from nine Chinese universities

Research on work life and job satisfaction of university professors is becoming an important research issue in the field of higher education. This study used questionnaires administered to 1 770 teachers from different levels, types, and academic fields of Chinese universities to investigate job satisfaction among university professors and the relationship between job satisfaction of university professors and the organizational characteristics of the university. The job satisfaction of Chinese university professors includes six dimensions: career development and school management, teaching and research services, salary, benefits and logistical services, professional reputation, teaching and research facilities, and the work itself. The overall job satisfaction levels are close to average, with salary and benefits receiving the lowest level of satisfaction. The organizational characteristics of universities, such as school type, school level, academic field, organizational climate, evaluation orientation, and school management, all have significant effects on the overall job satisfaction of university professors. The organizational climate and school level affect all six dimensions of job satisfaction among university professors.     

USING RETIRED PROFESSIONALS TO VIDEOTAPE CAREER PERSPECTIVES FOR EDUCATING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

In the project reported in this paper retired persons, living historians, were teachers of young adults. Professional persons now retired who were residents of one, large mid‐west retirement home cooperated in the design and development of two career‐history videotapes to benefit pre‐professional university students. Nursing and teaching careers were addressed in the two tapes.

The tape preparation and production methods are detailed. In‐class evaluations from university students and from their professors yielded highly positive results for this personal approach to career history. Likewise, the retired persons who participated expressed satisfaction with the project as having met their contributive and expressive needs. Inter‐generational applications and implications are noted. The authors conclude with specific recommendations for replication of this model project for greater involvement of older adults as educators of young adults.     

LEISURE AND THE RETIRED PROFESSOR: OCCUPATION MATTERS

ABSTRACT

Little attention has been given to the leisure activities of retired professors, whose activity patterns in retirement may be different from those of other occupational groups because of their lifetime commitment to work. This interview study uses both quantitative and qualitative data to investigate: (a) the leisure and professional activities of retired professors; (b) the anticipated leisure activities of older employed professors; and (c) the relationship between sociodemographic factors and leisure activities of professors in retirement. Respondents were 54 retired (response rate 83%) and 17 employed (response rate 94%) professors aged 70–74 from a major research university. Content analysis of the tape-recorded open-ended questions indicated that volunteer activity, travel, exercise or sports, and work around the house or garden were the most commonly described leisure activities of retirees. A large majority of retirees (70%) also continued professional activities. Travel and exercise or sports were the most frequently planned activity for employed respondents. Correlational analysis revealed little relationship between sociodemographic factors and leisure activities in retirement. Implications for retirement education and leisure programming are discussed.     

The Quality of Life of Retired Reengaged Academics in Nigeria

The quality of life (QL) of retired academics reengaged in some Nigerian Universities was studied using physical health, subjective happiness, life satisfaction and psychological well-being domains and a measure based on control, autonomy, self-realization and pleasure (CASP) as indicators. Satisfactory QL was indicated all respondents (>50% maximum points), but physical health was poor (<30%). Compared to the preretirement period, respondents indicated satisfactory present condition. Significant differences (t test) due to gender, age, living with/without spouse, mandatory/voluntary retirement, and rank occurred in some QL indicators. Except for physical health, the QL indicators were positively associated (r = .31–0.69, p < .05–0.01). Satisfactory location was indicated and was positively related to subjective happiness (r = .52–.76). Thus, the QL of reengaged retired academics did not deteriorate because of continued activity.     

Understanding pickleball as a new leisure pursuit among older adults

For older adults, participating in leisure activities has psychosocial benefits, increases social interactions, and promotes well-being. Among various leisure activities, pickleball is an activity that fosters positive social interaction and health benefits in older adults. Pickleball is regarded as one of the fastest growing sports in the USA, and it is reported to be popular among people of all ages, especially among older adults. The purpose of this study was to gather demographic details of older pickleball participants and elucidate the psychosocial benefits of playing the sport, such as life satisfaction, optimism, and social integration. To this end, we gathered information from 153 older adults who competed in pickleball tournaments. Multivariate analysis of variance and Hotelling’s T² test were used to compare the differences that emerged in experiential factors such as life satisfaction, optimism, and social integration among the different demographic characteristics. The results showed that life satisfaction was significantly different among the following three age groups: 50–59 years, 60–69 years, and ≥70 years. Results of Hotelling’s T² test showed a significant difference in social integration between male and female participants. The test also revealed a significant difference in terms of life satisfaction between retired and employed participants. The results suggest that playing pickleball can be an enriching leisure activity for retirees and may help them cope with the transition that retirement typically entails.     

EMERITUS PROFESSORS: ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT

Teachers and practitioners of gerontology in universities and social agencies are overlooking an important resource that resides in the skills, experience, and knowledge of retired professors. Many of them are healthy, financially secure, and willing to volunteer their talents in interdisciplinary and intergenerational projects on the campus and in the community. The author suggests that retired professors, organized in an Emeritus College, officially recognized and modestly funded, would bring a grand‐parental, extended‐family presence to the campus, and provide a partnership with teaching faculty and students involved in gerontological education and practice. Such a college would not displace regular faculty or graduate assistants, but provide supplementary support in organizing and participating in symposia, lectures, research, tutoring, public relations, fund‐raising, and similar activities on the campus and in the community. The two‐year experience at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is reviewed.     

Family,Close Relatives,Friends: Life Satisfaction Among Older People

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic (age, education, marital status, income, and health) and demographic variables and the quantity and quality of relationships with adult children, grandchildren, siblings and friends on life satisfaction of the elderly. Participants were 200 persons older than 60 years of age. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for data analysis. The three sets of regression models were run for each gender. Regression equations involved three sets of independent variables: socioeconomic, demographic, and relational (i.e., frequency, satisfaction) variables. When the three models were examined together, health and education made the highest contribution to females' life satisfaction. Health had a similar effect on the life satisfaction of males.     

Relationships among stress,coping, and mental health in high‐achieving high school students

This study investigates the relationships among stress, coping, and mental health in 139 students participating in an International Baccalaureate (IB) high school diploma program. Mental health was assessed using both positive indicators (life satisfaction, academic achievement, academic self‐efficacy) and negative indicators (psychopathology) of adolescent social‐emotional and school functioning. Findings include that students in an IB program perceive significantly more stress than a sample of 168 of their general education peers, and that specific coping styles are differentially related to mental health outcomes in this subgroup of high‐achieving high school students. Furthermore, coping styles (specifically, anger and positive appraisal) moderate the influence of stress on global life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms of psychopathology. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Reactions of professors to retirement: A comparison of retired faculty from three types of institutions

Dorfman et al. (1982) compared the professional activities of retired professors from liberal arts colleges, a comprehensive university, and a major research university. This companion piece based on the same survey compares the professors' reactions to retirement. Results show that a majority of faculty from all types of institutions plan for retirement, are positive about retirement, and give suggestions for institutional retirement policy. The retired professors recommend the following: (1) help in planning, (2) more information about retirement, (3) support for continued work, (4) gradual retirement. Major differences among institutions are the following: (1) comprehensive university faculty plan for retirement more than do faculty from the other institutions, (2) faculty from both universities begin financial planning at a younger age than do faculty from the liberal arts colleges, (3) research university faculty miss work and like having time to spend on professional activities more than do faculty from the other institutions.     

大学生主观幸福感与心理健康关系的研究

采用实证调查的方法,研究大学生主观幸福感和心理健康的状况。结果表明:大学生的生活满意度水平较高,正性情感和负性情感则均处于中等水平;大学生主观幸福感和SCL-90有显著的相关关系,生活满意度和负性情感以及生活满意度的各因子与SCL-90及其各因子也均具有显著的相关关系;主观幸福感水平可作为心理健康的一个重要预测源,同样心理健康水平也可预测被试者的幸福感水平。     

Activities and Attitudes of Retired University Staff

A national sample of 1662 academic and academic related university staff, who had retired 3-5 years earlier, completed a postal survey about their current employment, research, other academic activities, and the academic resources available to them, and about their attitudes to retirement, and the extent of their leisure, voluntary, and other caring activities. Over two-thirds of academics and four-fifths of academic related staff had retired early. Younger staff were more often currently employed, but the employment rate amongst academics aged 66-73 was very much greater than in the general population. The extent of research and other academic activities was related to university rank rather than age, with professors and readers more committed, and less involved in leisure activities. The most frequent reasons for early retirement were dissatisfaction with changes in the universities and financial inducements. The majority said they were more contented because of retiring, and most would not have wanted to retire later than they did, but concerns were expressed about the failure of universities to give adequate status and resources to retired academics. There was some evidence that women were discriminated against in retirement.     

高中生生活事件与心理健康及主观幸福感的相关研究

采用青少年生活事件量表、中学生心理健康问卷、青少年主观幸福感量表对468名高中学生进行测查，结果表明(1)高中生的心理健康水平整体情况良好，生活满意度整体处于中等以上的水平，其体验到较多的友谊满意感和家庭满意感，较低的学业满意感；(2)生活事件在心理健康水平和主观幸福感各个纬度上均存在显相关；(3)影响高中生心理健康的主要因素有学习压力、消极情感、其他生活事件、自由满意度、家庭满意度、人际关系、积极情感、受惩罚、健康适应。     

USING SERVICE-LEARNING RESEARCH TO ENHANCE THE ELDERLY'S QUALITY OF LIFE

Through the implementation of sound Service-Learning (SL) projects, research populations seldom involved in academic endeavors, such as the elderly, can be recruited into innovative studies that are likely to improve their quality of life. However, conducting such SL interventions, although important, may be discouraged by the multiple methodological challenges that are likely to be posed by these studies, and by the delicate nature of some of the issues in question. To address the need to develop novel SL gerontology applications, this article proposes topics for SL professors to consider for future research on older adults. Furthermore, it offers preliminary recommendations on ways to minimize the possible methodological challenges inherent in the implementation of these innovative studies, based on a new SL research model. Upper-division SL undergraduate or graduate classes could involve students in advanced SL applications to target some of the complex issues discussed herein, such as abuse (of all types) perpetrated against elderly women, and sexuality in older age. All parties involved in these prospective SL projects, including elderly clients, their health providers and administrators, students, and professors, are likely to benefit from the proposed research.     

老一代优秀高校英语教师发展因素研究

为了进一步理解我国老一代优秀高校英语教师的发展因素,我们对我国某外语院校的30位优秀离退休教授进行了访谈.研究表明,老一代优秀高校英语教师的发展因素包括新教师选拔、新教师业务培训、老教师传帮带、教师自我反思等环节.对老一代优秀高校英语教师的发展因素进行研究,有助于挖掘和保护老一代教师留下的宝贵财富,并有效指导当前英语教师教育的改革与实践.     

New Assistant Professors of Counselor Education: Their 1st Year

The author presents the results of an investigation of the experiences of new assistant professors of counselor education. Although most of the participants reported high degrees of stress and anxiety, positive relationships with veteran faculty members seemed to be a mediating factor that was correlated with satisfaction.     

Relationships among stressful life events,temperament, problem behavior,and global life satisfaction in adolescents

The relationships among stressful life events (SLEs), temperament, externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and global life satisfaction were investigated. The Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, the Youth Self Report (YSR) form of the Child Behavior Checklist, a portion of the Life Events Checklist, and the Abbreviated Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, were administered to 1,201 adolescents in grades 6 through 12 in a small city in the Southeast. A modest correlation was found between life satisfaction and Extraversion, whereas moderate correlations were found between life satisfaction and Neuroticism and life satisfaction and SLEs. Based upon hierarchical regression analyses, temperament variables accounted for approximately 16% of the variance in predictions of life satisfaction ratings. When SLEs were added, an additional 3% of the variance in life satisfaction ratings was subsequently explained. Life satisfaction did not operate as a moderator between SLEs and problem behavior. However, when global life satisfaction was added as a mediator variable, results indicated a partial mediational effect, particularly on internalizing behavior. Limitations of the study as well as implications for comprehensive psychological assessments are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 39: 677–687, 2002.     

Education,Functional Limitations,and Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in South Korea

This study examined the associations of educational level with functioning and life satisfaction among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea (n = 4,152). The sample was drawn from Wave I of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. To examine educational disparities, separate analyses were run to note predictors in less educated (below the 6th grade) and better educated (above the 6th grade) respondents. Educational disparities were found in major predictors of health and well-being. Older age and lower cognition were strong predictors of functional limitations, while being married, receiving public assistance, and better psychological functioning were associated with greater life satisfaction. The health and well-being of less educated respondents were influenced by demographic factors, while social engagement and psychological functioning were more prominent predictors for better educated respondents. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing cognitive functioning and function among older adults in Korea to promote their health and well-being.     

学生生活满意度及其影响因素——多水平分析研究

通过对11所中学2471名学生的调查,对社会支持、积极应对和心理健康对学生生活满意度的影响作用进行多水平分析结果表明：（1）在个体层面,学生社会支持和积极应对对生活满意度存在显著影响,学生的社会支持、积极应对水平越高,其生活满意度也越高;（2）在团体层面,学校总体心理健康水平对学生的生活满意度存在显著的跨层影响作用,学校心理水平越高,其学生的生活满意度越高。