This research project was done with the aim in mind to determine how teachers experience their lived through experience of job satisfaction in teaching. The qualitative research process was followed by making use of narrative methods such as narrative essays, interviews and observations. The essays and interviews served as basis for data collection purposes. If was essential for me as researcher, to find the reasons why teachers have negative and / or positive connotations towards certain teaching facets, and also to try and determine what their expectations, feelings and views are about education, so that I can determine how they experience teaching as a career. This research looked at the perceptions, viewpoints and experiences of individual teachers in relation to job satisfaction in teaching. Job satisfaction in teaching is essential, as it evolves around many different parties. It is therefore essential that a healthy organisational environment exists or is created at schools, so that effective teaching can take place. This research focus on factors that have an influence on job satisfaction and the implementation thereof to ensure maximum productivity and job satisfaction amongst teachers. This includes the role that the principal plays in creating a working environment where teachers can experience job satisfaction. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans / Sedert 1994 het drastiese veranderinge in die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel plaasgevind, wat ’n direkte invloed het op die vlak van werkstevredenheid wat opvoeders ervaar. Alhoewel die ongelykhede van die verlede in hierdie beleid ondersoek is, word sekere organisatoriese faktore wat die moraal van opvoeders beïnvloed egter nie hierin erken nie. In hierdie navorsingstudie maak die navorser gebruik van die kombinasie van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodes wat as triangulasie bekend staan. Semigestruktureerde onderhoude (kwalitatief) en vraelyste (kwantitatief) is as data-insamelingstegnieke gebruik om vas te stel wat die aard, omvang en moontlike oplossings vir die navorsingsprobleem is. Faktore wat werksbevrediging by opvoeders beïnvloed, is geïdentifiseer en ondersoek. Aanbevelings is gemaak rakende die rol van die Onderwysdepartement, prinsipaal, kollegas en ouers in opvoeders se werksbevrediging. Die vernaamste hiervan is dat prinsipale werkstevredenheid by opvoeders kan verhoog deur die bou van verhoudings van vertroue, betrokkenheid in die besluitnemingsproses en deur ondersteuningstrukture vir opvoeders in plek te stel. / Since 1994, drastic changes occurred in the education system in South Africa, which had a direct impact on the level of job satisfaction that teachers experienced. Although this policy addressed the inequalities of the past, certain organisational factors influencing the morale of teachers were not recognised herein. In this research study the researcher made use of a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, known as triangulation. Semi-structured interviews (qualitative) and questionnaires (quantitative) were used as data collection techniques to determine the nature, extent and possible solutions to the research problem. Factors affecting job satisfaction among educators were identified and examined. Recommendations were made regarding the role of the Department of Education, principals, colleagues and parents in teachers' job satisfaction. The main recommendation is that principals may maximise teachers’ job satisfaction through building relationships of trust, involvement in the decision-making process and by implementing support structures. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-190) / Abstract in English and Afrikaans / This study aimed to determine whether classroom climate or school climate is a greater predictor of emotional intelligence in South African primary school learners from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, as well as which factors promote and which inhibit its development. A purposive sample of 119 primary school learners from six classes in two government schools in Durban was obtained. The learners assessed their classroom climate with the My Class Inventory (short form) (MCI-SF), and their emotional intelligence with the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Child Short Form) (TEIQue-CSF). The six teachers assessed the school climate with the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ). Results suggest that classroom climate is a predictor of emotional intelligence while school climate is not; that satisfaction and cohesiveness positively correlate with emotional intelligence levels, and friction, competitiveness, and difficulty negatively correlate with emotional intelligence levels. The identified relationship between classroom climate factors and emotional intelligence warrants further research into the topic. / M.A. (Psychology) / Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om te bepaal of klaskamerklimaat of skoolklimaat 'n groter voorspeller van emosionele intelligensie by Suid-Afrikaanse laerskool leerlinge van Durban, Kwazulu-Natal is, asook watter faktore die ontwikkeling bevorder en watter die ontwikkeling daarvan belemmer. 'n Doelgerigte steekproef van 119 laerskool leerlinge van ses klasse in twee regering skole in Durban is verkry. Die leerlinge het hulle klasklimaat beoordeel met behulp van die ‘My Class Inventory (short form) (MCI-SF)’, en hulle emosionele intelligensie met die ‘Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Child Short Form) (TEIQue-CSF)’. Die ses onderwysers het die skoolklimaat beoordeel met die ‘School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)’.. Resultate dui daarop dat klasklimaat 'n voorspeller van emosionele intelligensie is terwyl skoolklimaat nie is nie; dat tevredenheid en samehorigheid positief korreleer met emosionele intelligensievlakke, en wrywing, mededingendheid en probleme negatief korreleer met emosionele intelligensievlakke. Die geïdentifiseerde verwantskap tussen klimaatfaktore in die klaskamer en emosionele intelligensie regverdig verdere navorsing oor die onderwerp. / Psychology