The purpose of this research was to investigate the factors affecting job satisfaction at the Coastal Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN) Further Education and Training (FET) COLLEGE - SWINTON CAMPUS in order to determine the factors that lead to job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction, to measure these factors and to present findings and make recommendations to management and the Department of Education in order to promote and improve job satisfaction at the college. The data was collected and administered by means of a structured questionnaire based on the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). It was discovered that most of the academic staff draw their job satisfaction from having a positive working relationship with management, their relationships with their peers, their training needs and the training provided from the college, and the condition of their staff room. It was found that educators mostly derive their job dissatisfaction from the absence of recognition for work done, remuneration and the benefits that they receive, company policies and practices, achievement and advancement, feedback and communication, the ability to work independently and creatively and the general working conditions of the college. It was found that staff was generally dissatisfied with their jobs. / Management Sciences / M.Tech. (Business Administration)

The aim of the study was to investigate the motivation and job satisfaction of teachers in the Ilembe District of KwaZulu-Natal. To this end, a literature study was undertaken on relevant theories and on the results of previous research on the issue. This was followed by an empirical investigation. The research design was a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. During the quantitative phase, a structured questionnaire was completed by 100 respondents from five secondary schools. The qualitative phase involved a phenomenological study in which 16 teachers from the same schools were interviewed. This research found that the teachers generally exhibited high self-efficacies. Teachers with positive self-efficacies were more satisfied with their physical environments and their school’s cultures than the others. However, teachers of different age groups, post levels and personality types were in agreement that the physical working conditions at rural schools were not conducive to effective teaching and learning. Parental involvement in school matters was restricted due to poverty and illiteracy. These factors served to lower teacher motivation and job satisfaction. In addition, teachers believed that school policies related to remuneration, safety and security, school governance, and assessments and evaluations needed to be revised if teacher motivation and job satisfaction were to be raised. Teachers were unhappy with their workloads and the multiple roles they played at school. With respect to interpersonal relations, their relations with their school principals, School Management Teams and parents were unconstructive. Many learners were also ill-disciplined and underachievers. Some significant differences in perceptions were found. Male teachers were more satisfied with policies, interpersonal relationships and school organisation. African teachers were happier than Indian teachers with policies and the nature of the work. Teachers with 26 and more years of experience were less negative about their physical environments. Qualifications also made a difference: teachers with certificates only were the least satisfied with their physical environments, school organisation and structure. Most importantly, teachers who were given the opportunity to demonstrate their potential to be successful, was significantly more satisfied with work-related issues. The study made recommendations to improve the motivation and job satisfaction of teachers. / Education Leadership and Management / D.Ed.(Education Management)

South African schools have experienced a high rate of educator turnover which has led to greater school instability, disruption of curricular cohesiveness and a continual need to hire experienced and inexperienced educators, who may be typically less effective, as replacements for educators who leave. Unfortunately, principals of schools lack organizational capacity to provide the necessary management strategies that can enhance educators’ job satisfaction. Since the principals are fully responsible for the proper functioning of the schools and their personnel, this study explored the relationship between the management strategies of school principals and the educators’ job satisfaction levels within the context of South African schools. It examined how management strategies of principals impact on job satisfaction levels of educators in various school environments. The study explored literature from local and international perspectives on management strategies and the job satisfaction of educators. It described the background and findings of the relationship between management strategies of principals and educators’ job satisfaction levels from an education management perspective. For the empirical inquiry the study adopted a qualitative research paradigm, and as such, a qualitative investigation of the relationship between the management strategies of school principals and the educators’ job satisfaction levels in schools was conducted. Non-probability sampling methods were used to select a sample of six school principals and twelve educators. Individual and focus group interviews were used in data collection and were audio-recorded. Throughout the research study, ethical considerations were upheld. Data analysis involved a mix of content and thematic analysis instruments. The study findings determined the relationship between management strategies of principals and educators’ job satisfaction levels. An understanding of human relationship is very important to school principals who have the responsibility of establishing an environment that not only motivates educators, but can also help to enhance their job satisfaction levels in a positive way. An understanding of educators’ needs also helps school principals to devise management strategies to enhance the job satisfaction levels of educators. Based on the findings, recommendations to improve the management strategies of school principals in the enhancement of educators’ job satisfaction were proposed. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This study investigated teachers' attitudes towards a career in rural schools. The aims of this study were broken into two, namely, the primary and secondary aims. The primary aim was to find out whether rural secondary school teachers hold a positive or a negative attitude towards a career in rural schools. The secondary aim was also broken into two. The first secondary aim was to find out whether rural secondary school teachers' personal characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, rank, qualification and teaching experience in rural school(s), as well as the school in which the teacher teaches, have a significant influence on their attitudes towards a career in rural schools. The second secondary aim was to determine the nature of attitudes with regard to A-B-C components of attitudes. To this end, a questionnaire was compiled and used as an attitude rating scale. The questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of one hundred and thirty four rural secondary school teachers from six schools, under Mehlwesizwe circuit in KwaZulu-Natal. Statistical analyses were conducted to fulfil the aims of the study and to test the research hypotheses stated. This study revealed that rural secondary school teachers hold a negative attitude towards a career in rural schools. It also revealed that, irrespective of teachers' personal characteristics, their attitude towards a career in rural school is the same, that is, it is negative. Therefore it was concluded that teachers' personal variables have no significant influence on their attitudes. This study also revealed that, statistically, there were significant differences in the affective and cognitive components of attitude but differences in the behavioural component were not significant. This indicated that the affective and cognitive components are more closely related to each other than they are with the behavioural component. On the basis of teachers' responses to attitude statements, the researcher offered two lines of direction as recommendation, namely, "Rethink resource allocation" and "Direction of restructuring". The former will assist in improving the conditions under which rural teachers work and the circumstances surrounding their workplace. The latter will assist in collaborating the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) structures at national, regional and local level with the Department of Education and Culture, as well as with the private sector, for improving the conditions under which rural teachers work. In that case teachers' attitudes towards a career in rural schools might be changed from negative to positive. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The researcher became interested in the topic regarding job satisfaction amongst male teachers when he attended his university reunion, more than 40% of the male teachers who graduated with a degree in education left the education system within 5 years. After making contact with some of the graduates, the researcher found that all of them left the education system because they were not satisfied within their work environment; hence, the researcher became interested in the topic. The most rewarding aspect of being a teacher is the joy of being in the classroom with learners and seeing them progress. However, what if there is no progression, but only statistics indicating failure to educate learners, an education system in crisis and educators without proper qualifications? A shortage of teachers, increasing learner enrolment and work overload are enough to create a highly stressful profession. The learning environment of a school depends on teachers, because they are in the frontline and directly involved with the transfer of knowledge. Teachers have a direct impact on a school’s success. Therefore, it is important that principals identify ways to support their staff in order to promote job satisfaction and motivation. The aim of this study is to investigate, from an educational management perspective, the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst male teachers in schools in the Ehlanzeni school district, Mpumalanga. The sequential explanatory mixed-method approach is used during this study; the quantitative phase investigated factors affecting job satisfaction amongst male teachers by means of distributing 200 Likert-scale questionnaires amongst male teachers in the Ehlanzeni school district. Structured interviews is being scheduled with twelve school principals (three rural primary school principals, three former Model-C primary school principals, three rural secondary school principals and three former Model-c secondary school principals) in the Ehlanzeni school district in order to determine the cause and effect of factors affecting the job satisfaction amongst male teachers. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

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)

This mixed methods study identifies perceived causes of and solutions to the attrition of special education teachers. Researchers have documented that special education teaching positions encounter higher attrition rates than their general education peers (Katsiyannis, Zhang, & Conroy in Olivarez & Arnold, 2006; Mitchell & Arnold, 2004; Otto & Arnold, 2005; Stempien & Loeb, 2002). More than 66 administrators and 200 special education teachers/Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) employed in the Portland, Oregon metro area (Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties) completed a survey on special education teacher attrition and retention and identified what they believed are the causes of high special education teacher attrition rates and what interventions would increase rates of special education teacher retention. The results of the surveys from the two sub-groups were compared and contrasted and it was determined administrators and special education teachers share similar perceptions of the causes of high special education teacher attrition rates and similar perceptions of interventions to increase retention rates. The results were also analyzed to determine if administrators and special education teachers and TOSAs identify the same causes of special education teacher attrition and interventions to increase retention rates.

Teachers leaving the profession is an ongoing problem; fewer teachers enter the profession each year and the number of teachers leaving the profession has increased. Many teachers listed job satisfaction as a reason for leaving the education profession, whilst citing the lack of mentoring as a cause of job dissatisfaction. Mentoring is known as the planned paring of a more experienced person with a lesser individual to help with the professional development of that individual and reduce teacher turnover. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of an effective mentoring programme at primary schools by developing and implementing such a mentoring programme to support and improve job satisfaction among beginner teachers in the province of Mpumalanga entering the profession for the first time. The following quantitative techniques were used during this study: document analysis and Likert-scale questionnaires, completed by 1 000 male and female teachers (principals, deputy principals, heads of departments, teachers and student teachers) from different races and cultures (20 teachers per school) from 50 randomly selected rural primary schools, private primary schools and Quintile 4 and 5 primary schools in the province of Mpumalanga. The analysis of data enabled me to identify a series of factors that were utilised to develop a mentoring programme that school management can implement in their schools to help beginner teachers to cope in their new work environment in order to improve job satisfaction and improve teacher retention. The factors identified include: aspects of job satisfaction that support leaners in achieving their goals; aspects of school management; the contribution of mentoring programme on the job satisfaction of beginner teachers; the responsibility of a mentor in developing a mentoring programme; the responsibility of a mentee in developing a mentoring programme; the responsibility of schools in developing a mentoring programme and characteristics that should be demonstrated by a mentor. From the data gathered, a mentoring programme was developed, namely the Hugo mentoring model. This model outlined the roles and responsibilities of mentors, mentees and school management throughout the mentoring process. The model also provided steps that should be taken into consideration when organising meetings between mentors and mentees. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.

This research presents a qualitative inquiry of the perceptions of the adult education teachers about their working conditions in the Adult Basic Education and Training programme. A qualitative investigation method was conducted, and a semi-structured interview was employed to collect data. The data from open-ended questions was analysed using a thematic approach. Findings suggest that the condition of services for adult education teachers was not acceptable and the levels of job satisfaction among teachers in adult education was low. Some recommendations that arise from the study are that the dilapidated buildings belonging to adult education be revamped and teaching and learning resources be provided. It is also recommended that the employment conditions of adult education teachers be in line with those of mainstream education teachers. / Adult Basic Education (ABET) / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the public secondary school leadership styles and teacher job satisfaction in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A qualitative case study research design was employed to elicit the perception of principals and teachers to the issue under the study. Ten principals and twenty-four teachers were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data collection was done using semi- structured interview questions. Data analysis was done using ATLAS.ti version 8. The study findings revealed that there is state political interference in the public secondary school management system, the teaching-learning process and the selection of the principals. Principals were not appointed based on their qualifications and experience but rather were assigned to the position based on their political affiliation to the ruling party. The study respondents perceived that management structures such as the one to five groups, the developmental army/change army group and command post were the tools for ruling party to indoctrinate its political ideology. School secularism was not applicable; the ruling party members had continuous meetings in school and had a role in the decision-making of the school. Principals focused on political activities with teaching and learning activities being neglected and were not perceived as employing an instructional or transformational leadership style. Teachers perceived their levels of job satisfaction as very low with state political interference, bad leadership practices of principals, low salary and benefits, low social acceptance for teaching profession, bad behaviour of students, low achievement of students, government lack of attention for education and practice of corruption in other sectors being major factors. Recommendations were made and a suggested school leadership model was presented, to enhance school management effectiveness and to improve teacher job satisfaction. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Phil. (Education)