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.

Principal support enhances the work-place environment and encourages teachers to do their best. Little is known, however, about the support behaviors of principals that teachers perceive to be important. Previous studies have focused on the 'broad concepts' of principal support without addressing specific behaviors. Therefore, a more comprehensive investigation is needed into what general and special education teachers consider important principal support behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify the support dimensions that both general and special education teachers perceive that they receive from their principalS and determine which dimensions they consider most important. A secondary purpose was to investigate the effects of perceived principal support on teacher stress and personal health, job satisfaction, school commitment and intent to stay in teaching. / 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.

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)

Much research has been done on the job satisfaction of secondary school teachers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The aim of this research was to investigate factors that influence the job satisfaction of these teachers. A literature review of theories on job satisfaction was undertaken. In the empirical investigation, a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was used. In the quantitative phase, the data collection was done by means of a self-constructed structured questionnaire that focused on four work factors that were identified during the literature review, namely salary and benefits, management, work characteristics, and interpersonal relationships. The stratified, random sample consisted of 300 secondary school teachers in Addis Ababa. The data were statistically analysed using the Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software programme, and the results were appropriately interpreted. In the second, namely the qualitative phase, interviews were conducted with a sample of 10 teachers who were purposefully selected from a larger sample. The data were analysed by using the constant comparative method. The results make a significant contribution to new knowledge and understanding of current issues relating to the job satisfaction of teachers in selected secondary schools in Addis Ababa. The results indicated that the teachers were significantly dissatisfied with most aspects of their work. Salary and benefits emerged as the primary dissatisfying aspect of all the work factors. Other areas of dissatisfaction related to poor fringe benefits and opportunities for promotion, the management style of the principals, the lack of decision-making opportunities for the teachers, as well as the opportunity to develop personally, and the poor relationships teachers have with the principals and the parents. The data also indicated that teachers who were 50 years and older, were significantly more satisfied with their work than the younger teachers. Accordingly, teachers with 21 years and more experience were also significantly more satisfied with their work than the less experienced teachers. In addition, all four of the identified factors were found to have statistically significant correlations with job satisfaction. Qualitative data confirmed the quantitative results. Finally, recommendations were made in order to enhance the job satisfaction of secondary school teachers in Addis Ababa, and for further research. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My study aims to ascertain whether interpersonal staff relationships have a role to play in the healthy development of a school as an organisation. My specific focus is on how educators experience these relationships, and how they impact on the educators' commitment to a particular school. My research design consisted of three case studies. I used a semi-structured questionnaire with each case and at a later date had a group discussion. My analysis of the questionnaires' data provided tentative themes for inclusion and further exploration in the group discussion. The combination of two data production phases resulted in the confirmation and expansion of the data. My study shows that various factors impact on interpersonal staff relationships within a school. These interpersonal staff relationships have a bearing on the continuance, moral and alienative dimensions of commitment, and impact on staff retention and job performance. They also impact directly on the health of the educators. Thus interpersonal staff relationships would seem to have an important role to play in the development of healthy schools. I conclude by acknowledging the limitations of this study, and recommending further research.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education