Student perceptions of satisfaction and anxiety in an online doctoral program

Eighty-four students in an online health education doctoral program taking the first course in the program over one year (four quarters) were surveyed in regards to their computer, Internet, and online course anxiety, and overall course satisfaction. An 18-item anxiety tool with domains in computer, Internet, and online learning was administered in the first and last weeks of an educational research course to assess for changes in student anxiety. A 24-item satisfaction tool with domains regarding the instructor, technology, setup, interaction, outcomes, and overall satisfaction was administered at the end of the course. Results show a significant negative correlation between anxiety and student satisfaction. Student anxiety levels were in the relatively moderate range; changes in anxiety levels over time were not significant. Participants who felt anxious when using computers or the Internet, or when taking online courses experienced anxiety with other domains.     

Job satisfaction,school rule enforcement,and teacher victimization

Job satisfaction is an essential component of teacher motivation, performance, and retention. Teacher job satisfaction is primarily affected by workplace conditions. This paper analyzes data from over 37,000 public school teachers from the 2011–2012 Schools and Staffing Survey. Hierarchical ordinal logistic regression was utilized to analyze effects of school rule enforcement and teacher victimization on job satisfaction. Findings indicated that teachers who perceived higher enforcement of school rules had higher job satisfaction. In particular, consistent enforcement of rules by school administrators had a significantly greater effect on satisfaction than collegial enforcement of rules. Findings also indicated that teacher victimization has a significantly negative effect on job satisfaction. Consistent enforcement of school rules may reduce instances of student misbehavior and teacher victimization, helping reduce teacher stress and anxiety, leading to greater job satisfaction. Implications for policy and practice are explored, examining what administrators can do to protect teachers and improve satisfaction.     

Readiness of teachers for change in schools

Theorizing on the role of teacher attitudes in change effectiveness, this study examined the predictive value of context (trust), process (social interaction, participative management and knowledge sharing) and outcome (job satisfaction and workload perception) variables for cognitive, emotional and intentional readiness of teachers for change. The study was designed as predictive correlational study. Data were collected from 1649 elementary teachers. Hierarchical linear regression analysis results indicated that background and context variables are weak predictors of readiness for change (RFC), while job outcome and process variables emerged as stronger predictors of RFC. The central role of job satisfaction and trust in predicting RFC suggests that readiness cannot be limited to times of change; rather, it is closely related to total experiences of teachers on their job. As a result, for a more effective management of teachers’ attitudes towards change leadership needs to hold a broader temporal and contextual understanding rather than demonstrating limited interventions during times of change.     

Actual/Desired role functioning,perceived control over role functioning,and job satisfaction among school psychologists

This study utilized the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and a demographic data form to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and actual/desired role functioning and perceived control over role functioning among a population of school psychologists. Results indicated that school psychologists spend more time in assessment activities than they desire to and less time in consultation, counseling, and research than they desire to. Both discrepancy between actual and desired role functioning and perceived control over role functioning were found to be significantly associated with job satisfaction. Role function and perceived control variables combined accounted for almost half of the job satisfaction variance. Four role function variables emerged as significant predictors of job satisfaction: discrepancy between actual and desired time spent in assessment, discrepancy between actual and desired time spent in clerical activities, actual time spent in research, and discrepancy between actual and desired time spent in research. Results are discussed in terms of their practical significance for practicing school psychologists.     

INFLUENCE OF ASCRIBED AND ACHIEVED SOCIAL STATUSES,VALUES, AND REWARDS ON JOB SATISFACTION AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY

Research on job satisfaction among community college faculty has been largely atheoretical. The present study examined the contribution of four sets of factors to explaining faculty job satisfaction in the community college. According to Kalleberg's (1977) theory of job satisfaction, employee's affective reactions to their jobs are largely determined by ascribed social statuses, achieved social statuses, job values, and job rewards. A random sample was drawn of 371 full‐time faculty from a multi‐campus community college district located in a metropolitan area in the Southwest. Nonresponses and partial responses resulted in an effective sample size of 261. A correlation analysis revealed that institutional age and physical safety job value were significantly, inversely related to job satisfaction and that all job rewards were significantly, positively related to job satisfaction. A simultaneous multiple regression analysis indicated that institutional age was a significant, inverse predictor of job satisfaction and that chronological age, and the good supervision and work itself job rewards were significant, positive predictors of job satisfaction. Of the variation in job satisfaction scores accounted for by all predictors, approximately 5% may be attributed to ascribed and achieved social statuses and to job values, and 48% to job rewards. For faculty in the district we surveyed, the keys to promoting job satisfaction would be to enhance the satisfying aspects of the work itself and good supervision. Programs which afford faculty who are less than satisfied with their jobs opportunities to be “origins” rather than “pawns” may be beneficial.     

Parent Involvement,Parental Depression,and Program Satisfaction Among Low-Income Parents Participating in a Two-Generation Early Childhood Education Program

Research Findings: This study simultaneously examined parental depression and parent involvement as predictors of satisfaction with an early childhood intervention program. Parents (N = 203) of Head Start children participated in this short-term longitudinal study. Measures of parent involvement and satisfaction assessed multiple dimensions of these constructs. Nearly 40% of low-income mothers reported being sometimes or chronically depressed over the course of 1 year of the Head Start program. Compared with mothers who were never depressed, those who were sometimes depressed reported less involvement in home- and school-based activities as well as fewer interactions with their child's teacher. Never depressed parents were more likely to be satisfied with their child's teacher compared with either group of depressed mothers. Higher levels of parent involvement and parent–teacher interaction predicted optimal satisfaction with Head Start services. Practice or Policy: Implications of results for practice are considered in terms of teacher training to recognize unique needs involved in working to establish a home–school connection with mothers experiencing depression. Strategies for building community partnerships to assist with mental health needs are discussed.     

A Study of Disciplinary, Structural, and Behavioral Effects on Course Outcomes in Online MBA Courses

This article reports the results of a 2‐year study examining the effects of subject matter, course structure, and participant behaviors on students' perceived learning and satisfaction with delivery medium in Web‐based courses of an MBA program in the midwestern United States. Using finance as the referent discipline, we found statistically significant differences in the mean course outcomes (students' perceived learning and satisfaction with delivery medium) associated with 13 business disciplines. Although most of these disciplinary differences ceased to be significant predictors of student perceived learning as structural and behavioral characteristics were incorporated into the model, these differences remained significant predictors of perceived delivery medium satisfaction. We also found that some structural and behavioral characteristics were significant predictors of course outcomes, but in opposite directions. For instance, media variety was a positive predictor of delivery medium satisfaction but a negative predictor of perceived learning, while learner–learner interaction positively predicted perceived learning but negatively predicted delivery medium satisfaction. These findings suggest that instructors of online graduate courses must manage trade‐offs in balancing students' learning with their perceptions of the internet as a course delivery medium.     

Teaching Online: Applying Need Theory to the Work–Family Interface

Using Warner and Hausdorf’s (2009) framework, the authors empirically examined work–life balance and work outcomes among collegiate faculty teaching courses online. Quantitative and qualitative results from 138 online instructors demonstrated that basic psychological need satisfaction was related to higher levels of work–family enrichment, job satisfaction, performance, and intention to teach online courses again and lower levels of work–family conflict and stress. Work support was also related to job satisfaction, performance, and stress but was not related to work–family balance. These findings are important as universities are seeking ways to promote involvement with online education.     

山东省高校体育教师工作满意度和工作投入及其相关研究

目的:探索山东省高校体育教师工作满意度和工作投入的相关关系,为高校的科学管理提供参考;方法:采用文献资料法、问卷调查法、数理统计法等方法对山东省高校体育教师的工作满意度和工作投入及相关关系进行了研究;结果:山东省高校体育教师在性别、职称等人口统计变量上工作满意度与工作投入的不同维度上的差异达到显著性水平,工作满意度与工作投入的正相关系数为0.557;结论:山东省高校体育教师的工作满意度是工作投入的有效预测变量,可通过提高教师的工作满意度来提高他们的工作投入.     

School leaders’ self-efficacy and job satisfaction over nine annual waves: A substantive-methodological synergy juxtaposing competing models of directional ordering

The school principal’s job is increasingly demanding and complex, but school principal well-being is understudied. Self-efficacy and job satisfaction are critical constructs for studying school principals’ well-being, and self-efficacy is a core predictor of job satisfaction. Cross-sectional research typically assumes a unidirectional ordering; self-efficacy predicts (and leads to) job satisfaction, not the reverse. However, this unidirectional ordering is inconsistent with theoretical models positing a bidirectional (reciprocal) ordering. Furthermore, the assumption is largely untested with appropriate longitudinal data and statistical models. We evaluated the directional ordering of job satisfaction and self-efficacy for a large (N = 5663), nationally representative, longitudinal (nine annual waves) sample of Australian school leaders. Job satisfaction and self-efficacy were moderately correlated within waves and over time. Consistently with theoretical models and a priori predictions, the two constructs were reciprocally related over time; prior measures of each had small statistically positive effects on subsequent measures of the other, with no evidence of directional predominance of one over the other. Support for reciprocal effects was remarkably consistent across competing cross-lag-panel models, multiple tests of the consistency of effects over time (measurement invariance and stationarity), control for covariates, and the addition of lag-2 paths. Methodologically, we critique competing models that estimate cross-lagged effects and evaluate directional ordering from within- and between-person perspectives. We demonstrate the value of both approaches in achieving a robust framework for assessing longitudinal panel models.. Our substantive-methodological synergy has important substantive implications for theory, policy, and practice—showing that school-leader job satisfaction and self-efficacy are mutually reinforcing.     

The Long-Term Care Workforce Crisis: Dementia-Care Training Influences on Job Satisfaction and Career Commitment

The present study compares changes in job satisfaction and career commitment among Alzheimer's care staff participating in a two-phase, state-level training collaborative to improve dementia care. Results reveal an increase in extrinsic job satisfaction and a decrease in career commitment. Findings could be related to the effects of both the training interventions and the time lag in data collection. Decreases in career identity depended on whether participants showed a deeper involvement in aging concerns with respect to future employment. Implications for the implementation of future interventions for direct-care staff within a context of organizational and systems-based change are discussed.     

高校海归教师首聘期工作满意度演进:1979-2017年的实证研究

改革开放以来,海归人才已成为高校教师队伍中的重要组成部分。对不同年代归国教师的首聘期工作满意度及其变化趋势、影响因素进行分析,是对高校人才政策环境和海外引才效果的检验。课题组以全国48所研究型大学1979-2017年期间归国的541名教师为样本,开展问卷调查。研究发现,过去40年海归教师首聘期总体满意度水平不高。通过对四个时期多维度满意度的量化分析发现:薪酬待遇和文化适应等方面的满意度存在显著差异;随着时间的推移,工作自主性、压力和科研团队等方面的满意度呈现下降趋势;薪酬待遇满意度的平均水平最低,但近年来已略有提升。基于研究发现,提出增加海归教师工作自主性和职业认同感、提高基础薪资和建立稳定的薪酬增长机制等建议。     

The Privilege of Ease: Social Class and Campus Life at Highly Selective,Private Universities

Active involvement in college activities is linked to a host of student development outcomes, including personal growth, achievement and satisfaction. Yet, to date there has been too little attention to how social class shapes campus involvement. Through an analysis of survey data of students attending a single elite university and a national sample of students at highly selective, private universities, I consider how class background is associated with participation in college activities and satisfaction with campus social life. Reflecting a history of class-based exclusion, the typical elite university student enters college from an affluent household, although distinct class fractions help conceal significant gaps and differences across the college years. Dominant class students devote considerable time to social and recreational activities, while middle and subordinate class students are more likely to have a part-time job to pay for college expenses. This pattern of campus involvement explains middle and subordinate class students’ lower levels of satisfaction upon graduation.     

The Mediating Effect of Happiness on the Job Satisfaction of Aging Filipino Workers: A Structural Equation Model (SEM)

Job satisfaction is a frequently studied topic among scholars, but only few have taken into account the job satisfaction of older workers. This study aims to develop a model that describes the mediating effect of happiness on job satisfaction specifically on a select group of aging Filipino workers. This paper utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) for its data analysis to test what impact happiness has on job satisfaction. Three hundred aging Filipino workers, both from public and private organizations in the Philippines, took part in this study by completing a five-part research tool that consists of a Robotfoto (a Dutch term that describes a photo-like picture drawn by police to describe a suspect from a witness's illustration) and adopted questionnaires for physical and mental well-being, employee recognition, happiness, and job satisfaction. The structural equation model revealed that physical and mental well-being and employee recognition significantly affect—and are predictors of—happiness. Moreover, it was found that happiness has an impact on the job satisfaction of older workers. Findings generated in this study cater relevant ideas in developing programs and practices for the aging workforce in the field of Human Resource Management.     

我国普通高中教师专业生活状态调查

本文基于全国11个省（直辖市、自治区）的高中教师调查,分别从教师的工作时间、成就感和工作满意度三个方面,对我国高中教师的专业生活状态进行了分析。在教师工作时间方面,我国高中教师平均周授课时相对其他国家而言并不长,但教师备课、批改作业时间较长;中、西部地区教师的工作时间长于东部地区的教师。在教师成就感方面,我国东部地区高中教师的成就感明显低于中、西部地区的教师,女教师的成就感普遍低于男教师;随着教龄的增加,教师成就感总的趋势是先上升后下降,但更详细的分析发现成就感随教龄的变化较为复杂。在教师工作满意度方面,中部地区的教师工作满意度显著高于西部和东部地区的教师;工作满意度随教龄和职称的变化大致呈V型分布。     

The Influence of Students’ and Teachers’ Thinking Styles on Student Course Satisfaction and on Their Learning Process

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of teachers’ and students’ thinking styles on students’ satisfaction with the course followed and on their learning process. The sample was made up of 102 instructional psychology college students who responded to two administrations of the Thinking Style Inventory, one about their teacher and one about themselves, to a satisfaction scale referring to the instructional process, and finally to a scale designed to measure the time and effort they devoted to the learning process. Multivariate regression analyses were carried out. Results reveal that both teachers’ and students’ thinking styles are good predictors of students’ satisfaction and their involvement in the learning process.     

The impact of individual differences on e‐learning system satisfaction: A contingency approach

This study investigated the impact of contingent variables on the relationship between four predictors and students' satisfaction with e‐learning. Five hundred and twenty‐two university students from 10 intact classes engaging in online instruction were asked to answer questionnaires about their learning styles, perceptions of the quality of the proposed predictors and satisfaction with e‐learning systems. The results of analysis of variance and structural equation modelling analyses showed that two contingent variables, gender and job status, significantly influenced the perceptions of predictors and students' satisfaction with the e‐learning system. This study also found a statistically significant moderating effect of two contingent variables, student job status and learning styles, on the relationship between predictors and e‐learning system satisfaction. The results suggest that a serious consideration of contingent variables is crucial for improving e‐learning system satisfaction. The implications of these results for the management of e‐learning systems are discussed.     

The relationships of communication with supervisor and decision‐participation to employee job satisfaction

This study examined the relationship of communication‐related variables to employee job satisfaction. Specifically, employee communication satisfaction with supervisor, perceived supervisor receptivity to information and ideas, employee participation in decision‐making, participation versus desired participation level, and job satisfaction with supervisor, co‐workers, promotions, pay, and work were studied. The subjects for the study were classified employees (secretaries, clerks, lowest level supervisors, etc) in three administrative units (Controller, Personnel, and Admissions & Records) of a comprehensive Eastern university. The communication‐related variables accounted collectively for a substantial amount of variance (76%) in employees job satisfaction. Moreover, communication satisfaction with supervisor and supervisor receptivity in information were found to be more powerful “predictors”; of job satisfaction than the decision participation variables. The study cast some doubt upon the comparative value of participation as a communication strategy with low‐level employees. Specific guidelines for direct application of results and implications for future research were derived from the study.     

Inclusion in Israel: coping resources and job satisfaction as explanatory factors of stress in two cultural groups

The aim of this study was to explore the differences between the two cultural groups of Jewish and Arab teachers on several variables and to analyse their link to stress. Specifically, I examined sense of coherence (SOC), sense of school community and job satisfaction among regular Jewish and Arab teachers in regular schools and classes who have special education students in their classes. Furthermore, I investigated how the different coping resources – SOC and sense of school community – explain the stress reactions of state anxiety and state anger directly and indirectly via job satisfaction and also the direct prediction of stress by job satisfaction. Data were gathered from 634 Jewish and Arab teachers (80% Jews) who completed self‐report questionnaires that measured SOC, sense of community, employee satisfaction inventory, state anxiety and state anger. Differences in SOC and sense of school community were found between the two groups such that Jews reported stronger SOC, and Arabs reported stronger sense of school community. Further differences were revealed in the links of the different coping resources to stress reactions. The results are discussed against the backdrop of cultural background and the salutogenic model.     

Parent Involvement,Influence, and Satisfaction in Magnet Schools: Do Reasons for Choice Matter?

This paper explores the relationships between parents' reasons for choosing a magnet school and their levels of satisfaction, involvement, and influence with the school. Data are reported from over a thousand magnet school parents in two urban districts. The results suggest three general findings: (1) As reported in previous research, magnet school parents choose schools for a wide array of reasons and are highly satisfied with their chosen school; (2) parents' reasons for choice are important predictors of their levels of satisfaction, influence, and involvement with the school; and (3) parents who choose for values reasons, as compared to other reasons, are more likely to be involved in and satisfied with their school of choice and report that parents have influence over school decisions.