Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristic Model was applied to study of perceptions community music school faculty hold towards their job. The research questions addressed core job characteristics of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback, critical psychological states (experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results); personal and work outcomes of satisfaction and motivation; need for professional growth. The results were compared to the national norms for nine different job families provided by Oldham, Hackman, and Stepina. Thirty-three schools, all members of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, located in every geographical region of the United States, yielded 437 faculty responses (64% return rate). Of the core job characteristics, dealing with others and autonomy received the highest ratings; feedback and task significance received the lowest ratings. Of the psychological states, experienced responsibility yielded the highest rating and experienced meaningfulness yielded the lowest ratings. Of the personal/work outcomes, personal development and colleague relations received the highest ratings; pay satisfaction and overall general satisfaction received the lowest ratings. A comparison to the professional job family norms, using a one-sample ttest, found significant differences in 16 out of the 18 variables measured by the Job Characteristic Model. Strong positive feelings for growth combined with less than strong feelings for the core job dimensions yielded a low motivating potential score of 96.18.

An understanding of emotion regulation (ER) is important to children’s development, allowing for better navigation of the world. This learning happens in the company of caregivers, within the context of relationships inside and outside the home. Detrimental circumstances (e.g., poverty, lack of quality early childcare options, homelessness), however, exist for children in the United States. These factors have the potential to affect children’s academic readiness and success, resulting in them entering Kindergarten labeled at risk for school failure. To manage these factors and the at-risk characterization children receive, one solution has been to send children considered at risk to more school and school earlier (i.e., Universal Pre-Kindergarten, 3-K). Once in school, children spend more waking hours with teachers than with family. Given the importance of the dyadic relationship between teacher and child, much like the parent-child relationship, this researcher sought to understand if at-risk children are, in fact, favorably served by earlier school when teachers themselves operate under equal, but differing, types of stress. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the researcher reanalyzed Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP) data, looking for associations among teacher stress, teacher warmth, and children’s ability to regulate emotion; the researcher also qualitatively investigated Head Start (HS) teachers in the Chicago metropolitan area, asking (a) Do teachers exhibiting more warmth help children develop better emotion regulation (ER) skills? and (b) What are teachers’ lived experiences, histories, stories, and perspectives regarding child ER in relation to their own stress and warmth? Reanalysis of the CSRP data demonstrated teacher stress and teacher warmth were each associated with increased child externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Individual and focus group interview data of present-day HS teachers illuminated the problematic circles of influence in which HS teachers work, enriching the quantitative data. When children’s first years in school are considered a sensitive period, researchers, policymakers, and educators would do well to learn more about teachers who work around the realities and consequences of stress, as well as what their insights may offer to close the described achievement gap. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

This study addresses job satisfaction of public school teachers in seven districts of the Portland Metropolitan Area (N = 2,133; validated response = 1,444; ratio of 67.698 percent). The three research questions are: (1) How satisfied are teachers in the PMA with their jobs? (2) What are the primary differing factors affecting teacher satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and do these factors and their relationship to satisfaction conform with Herzberg and Lortie theories? (3) How does satisfaction and dissatisfaction vary as a function of the following "demographic" factors: age, sex, grade level, years of service, highest degree earned? Findings from the three research questions are: (1) Teachers in the PMA are very satisfied with their jobs. (2) Motivators (or intrinsic factors) contribute to satisfaction more than they contribute to dissatisfaction, and this finding tends to conform with part of Herzberg's dual-factor theory; hygienes (or extrinsic factors) are seen to contribute to satisfaction more than to dissatisfaction (opposite to the prediction), and this finding does not conform with part of the dual-factor theory. Factors that contribute most frequently to satisfaction of teachers in the PMA are: interpersonal relations with students and fellow teachers, sense of achievement, teaching as a kind of work, and opportunities to help others. Factors contributing most frequently to dissatisfaction are: salary, time spent preparing for teaching or on school-related activities outside of teaching or preparation for teaching, status, and policies and practices of the school district. The finding that interpersonal relations with students is the factor that contributes most frequently to teacher satisfaction does tend to conform with Lortie's theory. (3) Age, sex, and grade levels of assignment are seen to be significantly related to job satisfaction. Older teachers tend to be more satisfied than younger teachers; women tend to be more satisfied than men are with teaching; teachers of primary grades (through 4-6) tend to be more satisfied than teachers of higher grades (6-8, 7-9, 9-12). Years of service and highest degree earned are not seen to be significantly related to job satisfaction. Comparative data from 1981 and 1984 indicate that: the age of teachers, the percentage of women, and the average number of years of service are increasing for teachers in the PMA.

The purposes of this study were to: (a) determine the distribution of personality temperament types of the study population of West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers, (b) determine the degree of job satisfaction expressed by West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers, (c) determine the distribution of job satisfaction among West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers by temperament type, (d) determine the distribution of West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers’ temperament types by selected demographic variables, and (e) determine the relationship between West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers’ satisfaction and selected demographic variables. The study population of 63 vocational agriculture teachers who attended the 1988 West Virginia Vocational Conference were each provided with a packet of questionnaires. Temperament types were determined using Form G of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and job satisfaction by the short form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). Demographics were surveyed using an instrument developed for that purpose by the researcher. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-X). Frequencies, means, and correlation coefficients (Pearson Product Moment and Kendall Tau) were the procedures utilized to answer the research questions. Major conclusions were as follows: (a) the majority of West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers were of the sensing-judging temperament type and the smallest group was the intuitive type, (b) West Virginia agriculture teachers were more satisfied with intrinsic than extrinsic job factors, (c) overall, West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers were satisfied with intrinsic job factors and moderately satisfied with their work in terms of general satisfaction, (d) West Virginia teachers were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with extrinsic job factors, (e) teachers of the sensing-perceiving temperament type were the least satisfied on extrinsic and general job factors, (f) West Virginia teachers of the sensing-judging type were the oldest teachers and sensing-perceiving were the youngest, (g) teachers with sensing personality styles were more likely to hold advanced degrees than those with intuitive temperament types, (h) there was little relationship between the variables of age, educational level, years of experience, or number of teachers in a department and job satisfaction of West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers, (i) married West Virginia vocational agriculture teachers were more satisfied with their jobs than single teachers, and (j) teachers with intuitive-thinking personality types had the least teaching experience of the four Keirsey temperament types. / Ed. D.

High teacher attrition rates coupled with critical personnel shortages in special education have augmented the need for research in teacher attrition/retention. Retaining quality personnel in special education teaching is vital to assuring that students with disabilities receive an appropriate education. The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth exploration of factors influencing urban special education teachers' career plans. To gain a better understanding of urban special educators' commitment, job satisfaction, and career plans, qualitative research methods were employed throughout this study's data collection and analysis procedures. Based on the results of a screening instrument from another study, sixty special education teachers in the Memphis City Schools (MeS) were selected to participate in this study. These teachers were divided equally into three groups of special educators (i.e., stayers, leavers, undecideds) with specific career plans and attitudes (e.g., commitment, job satisfaction). Face-to-face interviews were conducted with each of the special educators using an interview guide. Cross-interview analyses were used to analyze the interviewees' responses to each of the questions on the interview guide. Patterns and themes that emerged from the data were identified and discussed. Specific teacher examples and verbatim quotes were also included to illustrate the study's findings. According to interviewees, various job-related factors (e.g., support, work assignment, student factors, work rewards) were most important to their commitment, job satisfaction, and plans to remain in and leave special education teaching in MCS. Support was more often mentioned as a reason for wanting to stay than any other factor. Reasons for wanting to leave special education teaching in MCS clustered around two major factors, work assignment and support. These findings suggest that special attention to job related factors may be particularly important to prevent attrition among these at-risk teachers. By listening to interviewees' recommendations for improving work conditions in MCS and including these teachers in the decision making process, school administrators may positively affect teachers' career plans and better retain their special education teaching force. / Ed. D.

One year since over 1.2 billion learners were affected by school closures in response to the COVID-19 epidemic, this study sought predictors of past month perceived stress for K-12 teachers. The sample (N=159) had 89.3% (N=143) born in the United States, 89.9% female (N=143), 69.8% White (N= 111), 9.4% Asian (N=15), 9.4% Black (N= 15), and 8.8% Latino (N= 14)—with mean age of 39.53 years (min=23, max=70, SD=1.138), while 72.3% (N=115) had a current partner. For education level, the mean was category 2.87 (min=2, max= 4, SD=.517) for closest to a master’s degree with a mean annual household income of category 5.39 (min=1, max=9, SD=1.034) for $50,000-$99,000. They had a mean of 13.36 years (min=1, max=45, SD=13.36) teaching. Teachers reported high stress related to being a teacher, high fear about the transmission of COVID-19 in the school setting, high anger about COVID-19 decision-making and policies, and moderate coping overall as a teacher during the pandemic. In backward stepwise regression, controlling for social desirability, higher past month Perceived Stress (PSS-4) was significantly predicted by: Yes, lost social support in the last year due to death/change in status; Lower annual household income; Lower rating of mental/emotional health during pandemic; Greater negative changes in physical/mental health during pandemic; Greater symptoms of mental health disorders during pandemic; and Lower level of social support/lower number of people providing it—while the model (R 2=.568, Adj R 2 =.547) accounted for 54.7% of the variance. Qualitative data showed their most stressful experiences during the pandemic: Category I: Coping with Overwhelming and Varied Feelings; Category II: New Challenges Teaching with Exorbitant Hours; Category III: Teachers as Disrespected, Blameworthy, Disposable Multi-Tasking Servants. Other categories showed how teachers coped: Category I: Adaptive Coping Through Self-Calming Activities; Category II: Adaptive Coping Through Social Support and Companionship; Category III: Adaptive Coping by Entering Mental Health Treatment; Category IV: Adaptive Cognitive Coping—as well as the unfortunate Category V: Maladaptive Coping Through Alcohol/Drug Use and Food. Implications and recommendations suggest directions for future research and practice, including using new short tools in this study in future research and as screening tools.

Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study aimed to contribute to an understanding of A) the availability of arts education programming in NYC during the 2022–2023 academic year at charter schools affiliated with Charter Management Organizations CMOs), and B) arts educators’ plans for retention and perceptions of professional satisfaction, network-level support, and school-level support. In this study, a CMO was defined as a non-profit operator that exists (as a business entity) separately from the charter schools it manages. Quantitative data was collected prior to qualitative data. In Phase 1 (quantitative data collection), an electronic survey of arts educators in CMO-affiliated schools in New York City (NYC) was conducted to measure job satisfaction, attitudes and opinions of perceived levels of support from networks and schools, and needs for further support. In Phase 2 (qualitative data collection), interviews were conducted with six arts educators to further explore the perceptions of support held by arts educators at schools associated with NYC-based CMOs. Emerging from the qualitative results were the educators’ concepts of and needs for support across three categories: structural support, peer support, and support for teacher development (including both lesson planning and lesson delivery). The roles of network-level leadership and school-level leadership (as a team and as individuals) in providing support across these three categories while also preserving teacher autonomy created a complex web of influences on charter sector teacher satisfaction and retention within the field of arts education at schools affiliated with CMOs for the teachers in this study, which has implications for theory, practice, and policy alike.

The study was conducted to determine strategies that could be used by relevant managers and authorities in promoting the morale of lecturers at a TVET College, in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative research design and methodology was used to gather data from semi-structured interviews with the participants by means of two focus groups of six lecturers each and face to face interviews with the three programme managers. Purposive sampling was used to select the lecturers from the two engineering campuses of the sampled college. Data were constantly compared and analysed using the constant comparative analysis of data. The study found that aspects that contribute to low morale exceed those for high morale in the sampled college. Therefore, by studying the results obtained from the data, it can be deduced that lecturers at the College are not content with the current working conditions and the senior management style of the college. It is the duty of managers to consider the holistic welfare of employees. This is necessary for the creation of a suitable workplace for all staff of the college. To achieve this, supervisors and lecturers need to know what aspects influence staff morale. Henceforth, this study focused on effective strategies and recommendations that could be implemented to promote the morale of lecturers at the college. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Educational Studies / M.Ed (Educational Management)

D.Diac. (Play Therapy) / Teachers in South Africa experience strain and tension, unique to their specific work description, which is evident in the career-related stress symptoms experienced by the individual teachers, the high rate of absenteeism amongst teachers, as well as the high attrition rate. Although factors causing teacher-stress, and the consequences thereof, have been extensively researched, a limited number of empirical evaluations of the effectiveness and accessibility of stress-management programmes have been conducted. Due to the holistic nature of Gestalt therapy, its emphasis on the here-and-now and the Gestalt principles of awareness, dialogue and process, a Gestalt therapeutic process model was developed to empower teachers to regain homeostasis. The aim and objectives of the research were the design, development, presentation and evaluation of a Gestalt therapeutic process model for teachers suffering from career-related stress, in their quest to regain homeostasis. The model was developed to be implemented within the school environment by a trained member of the school management team. The process of intervention research was used for the research study. A functional Gestalt therapeutic programme, based on the theoretical Gestalt therapeutic model, was developed and presented to ten teachers, selected through purposive sampling, and again to five different teachers, selected through theoretical sampling. The teachers identified were representative regarding age, gender, race and years in education. Triangulation was used and qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously. The hypothesis stated for the research was that if teachers, suffering from career-related stress, were exposed to a Gestalt therapeutic model, they would regain homeostasis. Both the qualitative and quantitative data supported the hypothesis. The effect of the variables on each other was compared to confirm the reliability, applicability and neutrality of the research data. At the end of the three month research period the teachers who were exposed to the said model experienced less stress-related symptoms, as well as growth towards maturity and self-support, which would ultimately result in the regaining of homeostasis. A further objective of the research was to determine the feasibility of a trained school management team member implementing the Gestalt therapeutic process model at school. The qualitative data collected, indicated the feasibility thereof on condition that the school management team member did receive the necessary Gestalt therapeutic training. / Social Work