by Wong Yiu Chuen Enoch. / Thesis (M.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1980. / Bibliography: leaves 65-68.

by Kim-Wan Mo. / Title also in Chinese. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 88-96.

A teacher may say, "I have twenty years of experience," but just what does it mean? This study suggests explanations for the meaning of "Experience," not by looking at the number of years in a classroom, but at what teachers did in those years that could make the teaching experience equivalent to years of personal growth and development. Three Middle Level Science teachers' experiences were observed over two separate units of instruction. Teachers were engaged in conversations before, during and after every observation, such that their talk gave meaning to teaching. The teachers, early in their units, experienced tensions (stresses and anxieties) that affected their planning and implementation of teaching. The study determined that the teachers' learning experiences and personal growth were directly related to how they met the challenge of tensions. One teacher with very little science knowledge met the challenge of tensions in teaching by integrating her new science knowledge with her English and History knowledge and repertoire. She developed new practices that increased her energy and confidence in such a way that became self-sustaining experiences and growth. Two other teachers, despite science backgrounds, were less successful in meeting the challenge of tensions in teaching. Each found that the contents of the selected units required study and preparation, yet the teachers acquired information rather than truly learning the new subject matter. These teachers, in meeting the tensions of teaching, felt their energies wane, which reduced their dedication and effectiveness. As a result, neither teacher experienced personal growth. The negative experiences resulted in each teacher becoming more entrenched in a lecture mode of teaching to escape the tensions that existed. Learning new subject matter can produce tensions leading to experiences which affect teaching and potential for teacher growth. Incremental amounts of growth are possible, but only if a teacher responds positively to and meets the challenge of tensions in teaching, minute by minute, class by class. / Graduation date: 2003

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (DEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Teaching is one of the most challenging and demanding professions in the world. It seems as though teachers are being stretched to the limit and that this has a negative impact on educator morale. Expectations placed on educators seem to be expanding exponentially in South Africa. A study has been undertaken to analyse and assess educator morale in schools in the Wellington area. The main aim of this study was to establish which factors influence educator morale. The aims that emerged was a literature study about educators’ morale and to establish how educators’ morale influence the functioning of schools. The last aim of the study was what can be done to assure continuous high educator morale. The literature study formed the starting point of this investigation. The literature study was followed by a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods within an interprevistic research paradigm. A questionnaire was used to collect data and feedback was given to three focus groups. The questionnaire concentrated mainly on aspects on national and provincial level, those in the school community and on school related levels whilst the third group related to the daily educational task of the educator in the classroom. The qualitative instrument was handed out to 137 respondents in schools in the Wellington area. The validity of the responses and the findings were tested by means of feedback to the focus groups to get their views about the findings of the literature study and the feedback from the questionnaires. The reliability of the data was tested by means of interviews with three focus groups. Triangulation was applied by means of qualitative and quantitative research methods, a literate study and focus group interviews. In conclusion, recommendations were provided to improve educators’ morale in schools in South Africa.

The morale of educators in certain schools is very low. From the literature review I concluded that not all schools experience low morale in the same way. There are different factors impacting on the morale of educators at different schools. In this study, the causes of low educator morale, indicators of low morale, the importance of high morale and how low morale can be dealt with were addressed in order to provide guidelines to improve low morale. An empirical study was conducted and 2 schools in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth were used in this case study to establish to what measure the educators are exposed to the abovementioned variables. The data was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. South Africa is divided into different demographic areas. The majority of people living in the communities where these schools are located are poor, unskilled, unemployed and the crime levels are very high. The socio-economic context within which these schools are located also has an impact on the morale of the educators at these schools and it affects their working lives. Educators, SMTs and principals took part in the empirical study so that their views can be compared and to facilitate the researcher to make recommendations on improving low educator morale. The research outcomes were analysed and deductions, recommendations and a need for further research were given. The empirical and literature study emphasised that the morale of educators is low in the schools and this morale status impacts on learners’ achievements, the health of the educators and the health of the institution. The educators in this study ranked their own morale status as low and some of the causes of the low morale according to the empirical study are lack of resources, ill-disciplined learners, uninvolved parents and an ineffective management style of the principal.

Public schools need to enhance teacher job satisfaction which should improve teacher retention, teacher performance, and student achievement. This was a qualitative study of those factors which teachers with high and low job satisfaction perceived affected how they felt about their jobs. A sample of 200 tenured Virginia Beach teachers was randomly selected sent the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ). Eighty-four of these teachers who agreed to be interviewed were rated on performance by their principals. Eight teachers, who placed at the top the ranked list of TJSQ scores and who were rated at least above average by their principals, were selected for interviews. Five teachers, who placed at the bottom of the list of TJSQ scores and who were rated average at best by their principals. were also selected for interviews. The teachers in the study said they liked student success best and paperwork least. Respondents said the principal, coworkers, students, materials, autonomy, home life, parents, personality and participatory decision-making all affected job satisfaction. The principal was ranked most important. Job satisfiers were tabulated across questions. The most frequently identified intrinsic factor was student success. The extrinsic factors of working conditions, principal support and coworker support were identified. Intrinsic dissatisfiers included lack of teacher achievement, lack of recognition and lack of student success. Extrinsic dissatisfiers were poor working conditions and unpleasant student relationships. Concerning demographics, the teachers with the top 30 job satisfaction scores were older, more female, more minority, more elementary, more experienced and about equally educated than the teachers with the lowest 30 job satisfaction scores. In general, there was little difference between the responses of the high job satisfaction group and the low job satisfaction group perhaps because of the manner in which they were selected. However, teachers with low job satisfaction in this study were slightly more concerned with recognition, coworker support, working conditions, salary, student support, parent support and input into decision making than the high job Satisfaction group. / Ed. D.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

A national survey was conducted to investigate job satisfaction among women accounting educators at four-year college and universities in the United States. The purpose of the study was to determine if differences existed among women accounting educators at research, doctoral, master's, and baccalaureate institutions in three areas relating to job satisfaction: levels of job satisfaction, individual sources of job satisfaction, and structural sources of job satisfaction. Also, the relationships among these three areas of job satisfaction were examined. A stratified random sample of 755 women accounting educators was selected from the population of 1,519 women. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data. A total of 495 (66%) questionnaires were returned. Women accounting educators expressed satisfaction with co-workers, supervision, and work. They were neutral regarding satisfaction with pay and dissatisfied with promotion opportunities. A difference was detected between satisfaction with pay and type of institution. Differences were found between individual sources of job satisfaction and type of institution. The differences were attributable to education level and the personality characteristics of conscientiousness and openness. Differences were detected between structural sources of job satisfaction and type of institution. Academic rank, salary, tenure, institutional resources, and job functions accounted for the differences. Significant relationships were found between individual and structural sources of job satisfaction and levels ofjob satisfaction. Satisfaction with co-workers was related to agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, institutional resources, mentoring, and time spent on research. Satisfaction with pay was related to neuroticism, salary, academic rank, and institutional resources. Satisfaction with promotion opportunities was related to agreeableness, salary, tenure, institutional resources, mentoring, networking, other job functions, and type of institution. Satisfaction with supervision was related to personal roles, agreeableness, salary, institutional resources, mentoring, research, and advising students. Satisfaction with work was related to marital status, personal roles, agreeableness, neuroticism, institutional resources, and mentoring. It was concluded that differences exist among women accounting educators at research, doctorate, master's, and baccalaureate institutions. Also, it was possible to determine relationships between individual and structural sources ofjob satisfaction and levels ofjob satisfaction.