Author: Ryan C. McFadden

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 468

ISBN-13:

Ongoing difficulties with teacher job satisfaction have been well documented in research, and the number of very satisfied American teachers has fallen dramatically. Decreased budgets, poor resources and facilities, perceptions of unfair compensation, and other factors contribute to this multifaceted problem. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine teachers' job satisfaction status in a South Central Pennsylvania school district under these reported conditions. Dinham and Scott (1998) provide a foundational theory with their contemporary three-factor teacher satisfaction/dissatisfaction model. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed consisting of two phases: quantitative data collection using the MSQ to measure teacher job satisfaction, followed by in-depth interviews. Three research questions were addressed, informed by the main driving question: How satisfied are teachers with their work in a South Central Pennsylvania school district under unprecedented circumstances? Multiple regression and chi-square tests of independence were used to analyze MSQ data, while phenomenological analysis followed Creswell's (2013) method. Work location and class size were significant predictors of general job satisfaction. Chi-square tests of independence also found eight instances of statistical significance. Four themes emerged from the analysis of teachers' occupational experiences: the work environment (school-based factors), leadership, the job itself, and external or system and societal factors. Findings were in line with the three-factor model on which this study's conceptual and theoretical framework rests. Results indicate that participants reported a low level of general job satisfaction, as compared to the normative data for teachers and engineers in the MSQ's manual. While many factors appear to influence job satisfaction, leadership and professional autonomy seem especially influential. For those that have remained satisfied with their work, the joy was in teachings' busyness, while dissatisfied teachers were bothered by rigid teaching expectations, perceptions of poor leadership, and student discipline. Common threads between dissatisfied and satisfied teachers included enjoying actual teaching, working with students, perceived community support, and favorable perceptions of the research site's facilities. A heterogeneous group of participants allowed the researcher to create a balanced description of the phenomenon. Several recommendations were offered to improve current practices at the research site. Areas needing attention from school administrators included time and collaboration, relationships, teacher autonomy, the evaluation system, and other work environment factors. This study provides an increased understanding of the kinds of leadership behaviors, relationships, and working conditions it will take to produce and sustain satisfied teachers in the twenty-first century.