Criticism of the public school system tends to be aimed squarely at teachers in the classroom (Karpinski, 2012). As school principals lead in this current educational climate, it is incumbent upon them to provide their teachers an environment that is conducive to job satisfaction, emphasizing teacher retention, and mitigating the deleterious effects of teacher turnover on students’ academic achievement. To understand the practices of the principal, this study investigated teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ practice, asking the following questions: What is the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s practice of building professional capital and teachers’ job satisfaction? What are the experiences of teachers in relation to their perception of their principal’s practice of building professional capital and job satisfaction? Research was conducted employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods correlational study; utilizing a researcher-created on-line survey and semistructured interviews. The results of this study indicate that teachers’ job satisfaction is independent of principals’ practice of building professional capital. The quantitative findings found no correlation between teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s practice of building professional capital and teacher job satisfaction. The qualitative data indicate that teachers attributed their job satisfaction to factors that are independent of their relationship with their principal; commitment to their students and colleagues and sense of purpose were cited as sources of job satisfaction.

The purpose of this research was to understand the beliefs and attitudes of teachers that affect their perceptions of job satisfaction in one small rural Florida school district. Data collected included a self-administered survey of Likert-type items measuring 20 factors for job satisfaction (96% response rate), individual semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Analysis of the data confirmed prior research suggesting that multiple factors influence job satisfaction. Intrinsic satisfaction factors were the best predictors of overall job satisfaction: security, activity, social service, variety, and ability utilization. Extrinsic factors were most likely to predict overall dissatisfaction: recognition, company policies, opportunities for advancement, co-workers, and compensation. Interviews and focus groups further confirmed how participants projected personal significance onto these factors and how they interacted. The complexity of these interactions stemmed from personal perceptions and values participants placed on individual extrinsic factors and linked those values to other extrinsic factors. Consequently, other extrinsic factors took on perceptions of dissatisfaction based on the original factor. In addition, this research revealed several issues not previously reported in studies of rural teaching. First, "role confusion" emerged as a major source of job dissatisfaction for teachers who were either raised in the community or who had spent a considerable number of years in the community. These teachers often found themselves frustrated at work because of conflicting expectations and perceptions between their professional roles as teachers and their social roles in the community. Second, a high majority of teachers interviewed expressed dissatisfaction because they believed other teachers to have undue influence and power. However, interview data suggested that power was distributed properly but pervasive informal decision making processes led to the widespread perception of favoritism. In addition, teachers often exercised influence because no one opposed them. This study suggests that research to gain a better understanding of the sociology of rural communities needs to be conducted in rural education generally and specifically in rural teacher job satisfaction. Rural teachers' job satisfaction is complexly intertwined with a wide range of factors. Suggested uses for this study include an invitation for rural administrators and teachers to incorporate issues related to job satisfaction into their school improvement and professional development strategies. Addressing the factors influencing rural teacher job satisfaction, which have been previously overlooked, affords rural administrators a new opportunity to positively influence teacher retention, teacher quality, student achievement, and school climate.

Teacher shortages throughout the country have been an issue for school divisions and leaders. The demand for teachers has increased, while the number of teachers entering and graduating from teacher preparation programs is decreasing (Sutcher et al., 2016). Increased teacher demands by school divisions, schools, families, and testing requirements have contributed to declining teacher job satisfaction and teacher retention. Teachers are leaving high poverty, high minority schools for more affluent schools (Hanushek et al., 2004). The challenge of retaining quality teachers affects schools with diverse populations and high poverty, thus contributing to achievement gaps between minority and non-minority groups (Garcia and Weiss, 2019). Teachers in high poverty or high minority schools, mostly categorized as Title I schools, report low teacher job satisfaction levels, translating into high teacher turnover. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify principal practices that impact teacher job satisfaction and retention in Title I elementary schools in a large suburban Central Virginia school division. The researcher sought to gain insight from Title I elementary teachers on the factors that they identified as impacting their job satisfaction and retention in their Title I elementary school. Title I elementary principals were interviewed and asked to identify their practices that they perceived to impact teacher job satisfaction and retention. The researcher sought to identify common factors identified by both Title I elementary principals and teachers in impacting teacher job satisfaction and retention. The intended outcome of this study was to provide Title I elementary principals and school division leaders with qualitative data to improve teacher job satisfaction and retention in Title I elementary schools. Data collection included five principal interviews and five teacher focus groups with 16 teachers in Title I elementary schools. An analysis of the data indicated that both teachers and principals perceived support, professional respect, relationships, climate, community, and collaboration to impact teacher job satisfaction and retention in Title I elementary schools. It is anticipated that this study's results could help Title I elementary principals and school divisions with high teacher turnover implement practices to impact teacher job satisfaction and teacher retention in Title I elementary schools; thereby improving consistent, quality instruction and student achievement. / Doctor of Education / Teacher shortages throughout the country have been an issue for school divisions and leaders. The demand for teachers has increased, while the number of teachers entering and graduating from teacher preparation programs, and remaining in the profession is decreasing. High poverty, high minority schools, and/or Title I schools are impacted more severely by the teacher retention challenges (Garcia and Weiss, 2019; Sutcher et al., 2016). The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify principal practices that impact teacher job satisfaction and retention in Title I elementary schools in a large suburban Central Virginia school division. The researcher sought to gain insight from Title I elementary teachers on the factors that they identified as impacting their job satisfaction and retention in their Title I elementary school. Title I elementary principals were interviewed and asked to identify their practices that they perceived to impact teacher job satisfaction and retention. The researcher sought to identify common factors identified by both Title I elementary principals and teachers in impacting teacher job satisfaction and retention. The intended outcome of this study was to provide Title I elementary principals and school division leaders with qualitative data to improve teacher job satisfaction and retention in Title I elementary schools. Data were collected from five principal interviews and five teacher focus groups with 16 teachers in Title I elementary schools. An analysis of the data indicated that both teachers and principals perceived support, professional respect, relationships, climate, community, and collaboration to impact teacher job satisfaction and retention in Title I elementary schools. It is anticipated that this study's results could help Title I elementary principals and school divisions with high teacher turnover implement practices to impact teacher job satisfaction and teacher retention in Title I elementary schools; thereby improving consistent, quality instruction and student achievement.

Teacher retention is a growing issue that plagues schools across America (Grissom, 2011). Consequently, urban high poverty, high minority schools face even greater challenges as they expect to lose approximately 50% of their teachers within their first five years on the job. According to Grissom (2011), school working conditions explain both teacher turnover and teacher satisfaction, and principal effectiveness has a significant positive impact on teacher retention, especially in disadvantaged schools. The purpose of this study was to examine leadership practices teachers and principals perceive to influence teacher retention in urban, high- poverty, high- minority schools. A basic qualitative research design was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of teachers' and principals' perceptions of how school climate and culture, instructional leadership, school mission and vision, and teacher development impact teacher retention in urban, hard- to- staff schools. Data collection included individual and focus group interview data from five principals and 17 teachers with longevity in urban, high-poverty, high-minority schools in Southeastern Virginia. An analysis of the data indicated that administrative support, principal-teacher relationships, shared leadership, clear expectations and instructional leadership are essential to teacher retention in urban, hard-to-staff schools. The results of this study may impact the recruitment and development of school leaders by both districts and school leadership programs. / Ed. D.

In an urban school district in North Texas, there was a problem retaining highly qualified novice teachers. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of novice teachers to understand why some teachers demonstrated the resiliency to succeed as professional educators and to suggest potential solutions to improve novice teacher retention. Guided by Henderson and Milstein's theory of resilience, 8 novice teachers with 2-5 years of teaching experience participated in semi structured interviews. Research questions elicited the experiences that empowered novice teacher resiliency, the perceived role of administrators and colleagues to cultivate and build capacity, and recommendations to promote resiliency. Data analyses included an inductive thematic coding process to separate the data and identify themes. According to study findings, novice teachers' support from instructional specialists and colleagues contributed to their resiliency and retention. Participants indicated that a university education alone did not prepare them for the realities of teaching in at-risk learning communities. The participants suggested differentiated professional development to address the challenges of teaching in at-risk schools. A Comprehensive Professional Development Plan was created to address the gap in novice teacher resiliency and retention and to improve instructional practices to meet the needs of novice teachers and to provide a stable and responsive learning community for students to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. This study has the potential to produce positive social change by building capacity, resiliency, and retention through a long-term comprehensive professional development plan for inducting novice teachers.

本研究旨在探討高中教師知覺校長服務領導、教師組織公民行為與教師工作滿意度之現況，比較不同背景變項之高中教師在知覺校長服務領導、教師組織公民行為、以及教師工作滿意度之差異情形，並探討高中教師在知覺校長服務領導、教師組織公民行為與教師工作滿意度的關係，並進而分析高中教師知覺校長服務領導、教師組織公民行為對教師工作滿意度之預測力。 本研究採用調查研究法進行研究，以臺北市高中教師為對象，共發出417份問卷，回收377份，可用問卷374份，回收率達90％。調查所得資料以SPSS統計套裝軟體，進行描述性統計、t考驗、單因子變異數分析、皮爾遜積差相關及多元迴歸等統計方法處理分析。本研究獲致以下結果： 一、臺北市高中教師對於校長之服務領導行為感受有正面之知覺。在校長服務領導八個層面中，以「自我覺察」為最高。 二、臺北市高中教師組織公民行為屬於中上程度。在教師組織公民行為三個層面中，以「主動助人」最高。 三、臺北市高中教師工作滿意度屬中上程度。在教師工作滿意度四個層面中，感到最滿意的是「同僚關係」。 四、教師兼主任在校長服務領導的知覺較兼導師與專任教師高；學校規模在51班以上之教師在知覺校長服務領導上顯著高於31-50班的教師；私立高中教師知覺校長服務領導高於公立高中教師；不同性別、年齡、服務年資、學歷之臺北市高中教師知覺校長服務領導的程度無顯著差異。 五、年齡愈大的教師，相較於年齡小的教師，更有組織公民行為之表現；教師兼主任的組織公民行為，較導師和專任教師高；年資5年以下之教師，在組織公民行為的表現明顯低於其他組別的教師，而年資21年以上教師的組織公民行為表現最高；私立高中教師組織公民行為高於公立高中教師；不同性別、學歷、學校規模之高中教師在組織公民行為上無顯著差異。 六、51歲以上教師之工作滿意度高於30歲(含)以下及31-40歲教師；年資在11-20年與21年以上的教師對於「工作本身」的滿意度高於年資在5年以下的教師；學歷為大學畢業之高中教師高於學歷為碩士的高中教師；學校規模在51班以上的高中教師高於學校規模在31-50班與30班以下之高中教師；私立高中教師工作滿意度高於公立高中教師；不同性別、職務之高中教師在教師工作滿意度上無顯著差異。 七、臺北市高中教師知覺校長服務領導與教師組織公民行為有顯著相關；臺北市高中教師知覺校長服務領導與教師工作滿意度有顯著相關；臺北市高中教師組織公民行為與教師工作滿意度有顯著相關。 八、臺北市高中校長服務領導對教師工作滿意度具有預測作用；臺北市高中教師組織公民行為對教師工作滿意度具有預測作用；臺北市高中校長服務領導與教師組織公民行為對教師工作滿意度具有預測作用。 最後，根據研究結果提出建議，供高中校長、教師、教育行政機關、教師會、校長協會及後續研究之參考。 / The aim of this study is to discuss the senior high school teachers’ perception toward the principal’s servant leadership, citizenship behavior of teachers organization and current teacher job satisfaction, compare the differences in the perception of the principal’s servant leadership, citizenship behavior of teachers organization and teacher job satisfaction among teachers with different background variables, and study the relationship among the senior high school teachers’ perception of the principal’s servant leadership, citizenship behavior of teachers organization and teacher job satisfaction to further analyze the predictive capability of the senior high school teachers’ perception toward the principal’s servant leadership, citizenship behavior of teachers organization and the teacher job satisfaction. This research conducted a survey-questionnaire by targeting on the senior high school teachers of Taipei City. A total of 417 questionnaires were distributed and 377 questionnaires were received. There were 374 valid returned questionnaires and the ratio of valid questionnaire is 90%. The data was analyzed through SPSS statistics, descriptive statistics, t test, single factor analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple stepwise regressions. The findings of the research are as the followings: 1. The senior high school teachers of Taipei City have a positive perception toward the principal’s servant leadership. Among 8 perspectives of the principal’s servant leadership, the “self-awareness” has the most positive perception. 2. The level of the citizenship behavior of teachers’ organization for the senior high school teachers in Taipei City is above average. Among 3 perspectives of the citizenship behavior of teachers organization, the level of “helping others voluntarily” is the highest. 3. The teach job satisfaction of the senior high school teachers of Taipei City is above average. Among 4 perspectives of teacher job satisfaction, the “colleague relations” is most satisfied. 4. The teacher who also serves in a chief position has higher perception toward the principal’s servant leadership comparing to the teachers who also serve as a preceptor or full-time teacher. The teachers who teach at a school with more than 51 classes have significant higher perception toward the principal’s servant leadership comparing to the teachers who teach at a school with 31-50 classes. The private senior high school teachers have higher perception toward the principal’s servant leadership comparing to the public senior high school teachers. There is no significant difference in the perception of the principal’s servant leadership among the senior high school teachers of Taipei City with different ages, years of service and educational background. 5. The elder teachers have stronger organizational citizenship behavior comparing to younger teachers. The teacher who also serves in a chief position has stronger organizational citizenship behavior comparing to the teachers who also serve as preceptor or full-time teacher. The teachers with less than 5 years of teaching experience significantly have weaker organizational citizenship behavior comparing to other group of teachers. The teachers with more than 21 years of teaching experience have the strongest organizational citizenship behavior. The private senior high school teachers have stronger organizational citizenship behavior comparing to the public senior high school teachers. The gender, educational background and size of school have no significant impact on the senior high school teachers’ organizational citizenship behavior. 6. The job satisfaction of the teachers aged above 51 is higher than that of the teachers aged below 30 (included 30) and between 31 and 40. The teachers with 11-20 and more than 21 years of teaching experience have higher satisfaction of “job itself” comparing to the teachers with less than 5 years of teaching experience. The job satisfaction of the teachers with university degree is higher than that of the teachers with master degree. The job satisfaction of the teachers working at a school with more than 51 classes is higher than that of the teachers working at a school with 31-50 classes or less than 30 classes. There is no significant difference in teacher job satisfaction among teachers with different gender and position. 7. The perception of the senior high school teachers of Taipei City toward the principal’s servant leadership is significantly correlated with the citizenship behavior of teachers’ organization. The perception of the senior high school teachers of Taipei City toward the principal’s servant leadership is significantly correlated with the teacher job satisfaction. The organizational citizenship behavior of the senior high school teachers of Taipei City is significantly correlated with the teacher job satisfaction. 8. The servant leadership of the principals of the senior high school in Taipei City has a predictive effect on teacher job satisfaction. The citizenship behavior of the teachers’ organization in Taipei City has a predictive effect on teacher job satisfaction. Both of the principal’s servant leadership and the citizenship behavior of the teachers’ organizations in Taipei City have a predictive effect on teacher job satisfaction. Finally, the recommendations were given based on the research results to provide references for senior high school principals and teachers, education administrative units, teachers association, principals association and future studies.

The goal of this research was to investigate teachers' perceptions of professional discretion and satisfaction related to internal and external factors of curriculum control. Results of the study were intended to provide data to policy makers and school district administrators that could be used in the development and implementation of the curriculum reform process. Middle and high school teachers in a large central Florida school district completed the survey. The survey's six constructs were 1. Influence of Teacher Beliefs 2. Perceptions of Success and Satisfaction 3. Influence of Tests and Curriculum Guides 4. Teacher Control of Pedagogy 5. Leadership 6. Maintaining High Standards The research questions focused on determining the difference in perspectives due to years of teaching experience, level of teaching (middle or high school), and curriculum control category (high, medium, or low). The results revealed there was not significant disagreement among teacher perceptions based on years of teaching experience. However, results indicated significant differences in perceptions based on level of teaching and curriculum control category in regard to the six survey constructs. The construct of leadership revealed significant differences between both levels of teaching and curriculum control categories. Overall, the results indicated a significant relationship among curriculum control policies and effects on teachers' perceptions of professional discretion and satisfaction. The literature on curriculum reform efforts since the 1980s, specifically in the areas of curriculum standards, textbook adoption policies, testing policies and leadership practices, framed the study. The literature review focused on existing research issues within the six constructs and the research questions. The information gained from this study may be used to inform policies, improve teachers' working conditions, and promote teacher and leadership effectiveness. Recommendations for practice were addressed in terms of what policy makers, school district administrators, and individual classroom teachers can and should do to implement and support meaningful curriculum reform. The researcher emphasized that recognizing the professional expertise and knowing the perspective of teachers are key to the development and implementation of an effective curriculum reform process.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) of second-career teachers (SCTs) and their perceptions of what affects their PsyCap in the workplace by surveying and interviewing second-career teachers in public school districts in central eastern and northern Virginia. The research questions were: What is the PsyCap of a second-career teacher? What are the factors that second-career teachers perceive to contribute to their PsyCap? Participants were located in rural and suburban school districts in central eastern and northern Virginia. Data collection consisted of demographic surveys, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire survey (PCQ-24), and semi-structured interviews. Eighteen second-career teachers were purposefully selected from 34 who completed the demographic survey data and PsyCap-24 to participate in semi-structured interviews using the interview questions protocol. Common themes from the interviews were determined using deductive and inductive coding. Major findings were that second-career teachers exhibited a high average workplace positive PsyCapof 4.8; mentorship and strong peer support significantly influence second-career teachers' positive PsyCap; and a teacher's relationships with colleagues and their team's impact second-career teachers' positive PsyCap. Additional findings also showed that positive relationships with administration and prior-life experiences in other fields contributed to an increase in positive PsyCap. Whereas extra duties assigned to second-career teachers negatively impact their overall PsyCap. These results underscored the significance of nurturing positive PsyCap among second-career teachers, adding to the broader research on educators' PsyCap and its impact on teacher retention and job satisfaction in education. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the psychological capital (PsyCap) of current teachers who held a career prior to teaching (second-career teachers) and what affects second-career teachers' PsyCap scores at the school level. The research questions were: What is the PsyCap of a second-career teacher? What are the factors that second-career teachers perceive to contribute to their PsyCap? SCTs who participated were located in rural and suburban school districts in central eastern and northern Virginia. Data collection methods involved demographic surveys, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire survey (PCQ-24), and semi-structured interviews. From a pool of 34 participants who completed the surveys, 18 second-career teachers were purposefully selected for one-on-one interviews. Analysis of the interviews highlighted several key themes, including the high average positive PsyCap score of 4.8 among second-career teachers, the significant influence of mentorship and peer support on their PsyCap, and the impact of relationships with colleagues and teams. Additionally, positive relationships with administration and prior experiences in other professional fields were found to add to positive PsyCap, while extra duties assigned to second-career teachers had a negative effect on their PsyCap. These findings emphasize the importance of fostering positive PsyCap among second-career teachers and contribute to understanding its importance for teacher retention and job satisfaction in education.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between teacher’s perceptions of their principal’s level of emotional intelligence and teachers’ job satisfaction level. Nine elementary schools within a small rural school district in a southern state were the selected cite for the research. Thirty-nine teachers completed two on-line surveys. One survey was intended to report their perceptions of their principal’s level of emotional intelligence and the second survey was intended to report their level of job satisfaction. The primary research question was: What is the relation between elementary teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s emotional intelligence and the teachers’ level of job satisfaction? The independent or predictor variable was emotional intelligence: others emotional appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion. The dependent variable was teacher job satisfaction: supervision, contingent rewards, operating procedures and communication. A simple regression was conducted to investigate the impact of principal’s perceived emotional intelligence level and the teacher’s job satisfaction level. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to examine the factor structure of teacher’s perceptions of their principal’s emotional intelligence and their level of job satisfaction. A one factor solution was sufficient in capturing most of the variability for both survey instruments. The findings indicated a strong relation between teacher’s perceptions of their principal’s emotional intelligence and the teachers’ level of job satisfaction. Further research to improve principal’s emotional intelligence and improve teacher’s job satisfaction levels is recommended to increase applicants to teacher preparation programs and to increase teacher recruitment and retention.

本研究旨在探討我國國民中學教師知覺領導者—成員交換關係、教師工作滿意度與教師離職傾向之實際情形，並瞭解領導者—成員交換關係對教師離職傾向的影響以及研究教師工作滿意度是否具有中介效果。 研究方法為文獻分析與問卷調查法。研究對象為桃園縣國民中學教師，共發出450份問卷，可用問卷共383份，可用率達85.11％。問卷回收後分別以因素分析、信度分析、描述性統計、t考驗、單因子變異數分析、Pearson積差相關、多元逐步迴歸及逐步階層迴歸分析等統計方法進行研究。根據研究結果與分析後歸納之結論如下： 一、桃園縣國民中學教師知覺領導者—成員交換關係為中等程度，以「情感」之知覺程度為最高，「貢獻」之知覺程度最低。 二、桃園縣國民中學教師在工作滿意的知覺為中等程度，以「自我實現」的知覺為最高，「工作壓力」之知覺為最低。 三、桃園縣國民中學教師在離職傾向的知覺現況為低程度。 四、不同背景變項的桃園縣國民中學教師知覺領導者—成員交換關係、教師工作滿意度與教師離職傾向的程度有差異。 五、桃園縣國民中學教師領導者—成員交換關係、教師工作滿意度與教師離職傾向的知覺，彼此間具有顯著相關。 六、領導者—成員交換關係與教師工作滿意度對教師離職傾向有顯著的聯合預測力，其中以「同僚關係」的預測力最高。 七、教師工作滿意度在領導者—成員交換關係對教師離職傾向的影響上具有中介效果。 最後，根據研究結果提出建議，以供教育行政機關、國民中學學校校長、教師及後續研究之參考。 / This study aims to investigate the current development of the junior high school leader-member exchange, teacher job satisfaction, and teacher turnover intention in Taoyuan County, and to discuss the influ- ence of leader-member exchange and teacher job satisfaction on teacher turnover intention and to test whether teacher job satisfaction is a signi- ficant mediator or not. The research process combines literature review and questionnaire method. Teachers in Taoyuan County public schools are the main survey subjects. Totally 450 questionnaires were distributed to schools, and 383 are valid, which the amount of usefulness is around 85.11%. The data is analyzed through the statistics method of factor analysis, reliability analy- sis, descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson product- moment correlation coefficient, multiple stepwise regression analysis and stepwise heirarchical regression analysis. The findings of the study are follows: 1. Teachers in Taoyuan County public schools show median level of perception in leader-member exchange while “affect” is the highest, and “contribution” is the lowest. 2. Teachers in Taoyuan County public schools show median level of perception in teacher job satisfaction while “self-actualization” is the highest, and “work intensity/load” is the lowest. 3. Teachers in Taoyuan County public schools show low level of perception in teacher turnover intention. 4. Teachers with different background show different opinions in leader-member exchange, teacher job satisfaction, and teacher turnover intention. 5. The relations among leader-member exchange, teacher job satisfaction, and teacher turnover intention are significant. 6. Leader-member exchange and teacher job satisfaction show significant predictability to teacher turnover intention while “colleague relationship” is the highest. 7. Teacher job satisfaction functions as a significant mediator between leader-member exchange and teacher turnover intention. According to the above conclusions, the research proposed relevant suggestions to be referenced by education administrative organizations, junior high school principals and teachers, and future researches.