Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1993. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-167). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation examines whether the mode of entry into K-12 public school teaching has any implications on teacher retention. Teacher retention is important because it is an important precursor to teacher quality, which has been shown to positively impact student performance. However, teacher turnover can seriously threaten teacher retention. Additionally, teacher turnover is associated with serious economic and non-economic costs. To this end, it may benefit schools and school districts to pay particular attention to hiring and retaining their teachers, especially the quality ones, for the long haul. Current teacher labor markets literature is deficient in serious analytical frameworks for understanding longitudinal cohort retention comparisons of traditional and nontraditional teachers, as well as analysis of quit behaviors that focus on when a teacher is at the greatest risk of quitting. My research endeavors to bridge this gap. Using a large-scale administrative data set comprising cohorts of traditional and nontraditional teachers from the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), I used discrete-time survival analysis modeling, specifically, the Cox Proportional Hazards (PH) model, to analyze the quit and retention patterns of cohorts of teachers from traditional and nontraditional sources over a six-year period. I found similar retention patterns between the two groups with notable peculiar patterns for the nontraditional group. The data suggests that entry routes into K-12 public school teaching, the year of entry into teaching, individual age, sex, ethnicity, subject taught, and school level can be important predictors of retention.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The problem of the study was: Can teacher personality characteristics be identified which distinguish between the open and non-open teacher? The major purpose of the study was to develop a profile of personality characteristics as measured by the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), the Sixteen Personality Factor (16 PF), and the Teacher Satisfaction/Compatibility Questionnaire, all of which describe the open and non-open classroom teacher. It was a descriptive study which utilized volunteer teachers from a large school district in the Southwest. Two trained observers made two 20-minute observations in the classrooms of teachers who had volunteered to participate in the study. Based on these two observations and using the Walberg-Thomas Observation Rating Scale, each observer independently rated the openness of the learning environment of each of the classrooms visited. The volunteer teachers were administered the CPI, and 16 PF, and the Teacher Satisfaction/Compatibility Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by means of a t-test for two sample tests of independent means for null hypothesis 1 and null hypothesis 2. Data were analyzed by means of a two-way ANOVA for each of the 34 dependent variables for null hypothesis 3 and null hypothesis 4. The level of significance for rejection of all hypotheses was set at the .05 level. Conclusions of the study were as follows: the two open schools differed significantly from the five non-open schools in openness of the learning environment. The open teachers differed significantly from the non-open teachers in satisfaction; however, the open teachers did not differ significantly from the non-open teachers in compatibility. With openness and satisfaction serving as independent variables, and the 18 CPI scales and the 16 16 PF scales serving as dependent variables: (1) open teachers did not differ significantly from non-open teachers on 12 CPI scales and nine 16 PF scales. Open teachers did differ significantly from non-open teachers on six CPI scales and seven 16 PF scales: (2) with one exception, satisfied teachers did not differ significantly from not-satisfied teachers in scale scores on the CPI and the 16 PF; (3) no interaction existed between open teachers and non-open teachers and satisfied teachers and not-satisfied teachers in scale scores on the CPI and the 16 PF. With openness and compatibility serving as independent variables, and the 18 CPI scales and the 16 16 PF scales serving as dependent variables: (1) open teachers did not differ significantly from non-open teachers on 10 CPI scales and eight 16 PF scales. Open teachers did differ significantly from non-open teachers on eight CPI and eight 16 PF scales; (2) with three exceptions, compatible teachers did not differ significantly from not-compatible teachers in scale scores on the CPI and the 16 PF; (3) with three exceptions, no interaction existed between open teachers and non-open teachers and compatible teachers and not-compatible teachers in scale scores on the CPI and the 16 PF. It was possible to identify teacher personality characteristics which distinguished between open and non-open teachers. It was possible to develop profiles of personality characteristics which describe open and non-open teachers. Based on the conclusions of this study, various recommendations were made. Similar studies with additional factors and/or larger number of subjects and wider geographic area were recommended. There should be a continuing search for the personalities and behaviors which characterize open and non-open teachers. Perhaps a major focus in future research on education should be the determination of principal personality characteristics that are best suited to the philosophy and methodology of open and non-open education.

The purpose of the study was to determine if there were significant differences in the levels of job satisfaction of teachers of the deaf in residential and day school/class programs. Four selected subpopulations of these teachers were also compared.The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was utilized to obtain teacher perceptions of job satisfaction. A questionnaire was utilized to obtain demographic data. Five major null hypothesis were tested by the multivariate and univariate analysis of variance.Findings1. Day school/class and residential school teachers of the deaf were found to be significantly different in levels of job satisfaction.2. Male and female teachers of the deaf were found to be significantly different in levels of job satisfaction.3. Normal hearing teachers of the deaf and deaf teachers of the deaf were found to be significantly different in levels of job satisfaction.4. Teachers of the deaf in various age groups were found to be significantly different in levels of job satisfaction.5. Teachers of the deaf with daily contact with deaf colleagues and those without daily contact with deaf colleagues were found to be significantly different in levels of job satisfaction.Conclusions1.The type of school (residential or day) does have an influence on job satisfaction levels of teachers of the deaf.2. There are significant differences in levels of job satisfaction between the following subgroups of teachers of the deaf: male and female; hearing and deaf; age ranges 20-25, 26-35, 36-45, and over 45; and teachers with daily contact with deaf colleagues and teachers without daily contact with deaf colleagues.

Extensive research has been conducted to determine the degree of satisfaction among workers in various categories of the working force. Educational researchers have become increasingly interested in determining not only the degree of job satisfaction among teachers, but also the sources of teacher job satisfaction and dissatisfaction.One of the most controversial issues in contemporary education is the increased tendency to construct schools with open-space designs. Of great concern to many people are the effects that architectural changes and resulting conditions have on teachers. Heretofore, studies involving open-space schools have been largely interested in the effects on pupil self concept, personality, and achievement. Few systematic and analytic attempts have been made to assess evaluations by teachers concerning the impact of open-space design on job satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to determine the degree of job satisfaction of teachers in two dissimilar elementary school settings, the open-space and the self-contained.The experimental design involved dissemination of The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire to 76 elementary classroom teachers from four predominantly open-space schools and 85 teachers from four predominantly traditional schools. Each of the eight schools is located in Delaware County, Indiana. Teacher participation was strictly voluntary. Those wishing to participate in the study were given five full school days in which to respond to-the opinionaire.There were two major hypotheses tested. Hypothesis I proposed that there would be no significant difference between the proportion of teachers responding from open-space schools and traditional schools. A formula by Glass and Stanley was used to test the equality of group proportions.Hypothesis II and all of its sub-hypotheses proposed that there would be no significant difference between teachers in open-space and traditional schools regarding the degree of job satisfaction as measured by The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire. Data for these hypotheses were analyzed by means of a One-Way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (Manova).No significant difference was found in the proportion of teachers responding from open-space and traditional schools. The null hypothesis of no significant difference between teachers regarding degree of job satisfaction as measured by The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was rejected. The only variable contributing to this rejection was that of "Rapport Among Teachers." Data analysis revealed that teachers from traditional schools responded more positively to this variable than did teachers from open-space schools. Although no significant difference was found to exist between the two groups of teachers regarding either of the remaining five factors analyzed, teachers from traditional schools responded more positively to four of the five factors than did teachers from open-space schools. Suggestions for further research include consideration of whether or not teachers are teaching in a school by choice or by chance; consideration of data pertaining to factors such as sex, age, years of teaching experience, and number of years teaching in a particular type of school structure; and a similar study involving a greater number of subjects from a wider geographic area.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1987. / Title from title page screen, viewed August 8, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Jeanne B. Morris, Kenneth H. Strand (co-chairs), James J. Johnson, Kathryn W. Smith, Fred A. Taylor. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-91) and abstract. Also available in print.

The purpose of the research was to investigate the level of job satisfaction of primary and secondary rural and farm school teachers in Gauteng West - D2. The following research questions were addressed: „X What is the nature of job satisfaction? „X What are the factors responsible for the job satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction of rural and farm school teachers? „X How can managers or those responsible for education create job satisfaction among rural and farm schoolteachers? In this study the researcher developed a questionnaire which was used as a measuring instrument for the research. The questionnaire was designed within the framework regarding levels of job satisfaction to improve performance. The questionnaire can be used for future research studies. The results of the study indicated that three of the 27 factors showed statistically significant differences, namely, types of school, highest educational qualifications and racial groups. The main conclusion drawn from the research is that rural and farm school teachers in Gauteng West-D2 are not satisfied with their environment and available facilities. Finally there is a need for a follow - up study to be conducted on all teachers in Gauteng West ¡V D2 to determine the level of job satisfaction of all teachers. / Ms. D. Groenewald

A music teacher’s place of work—the school, the geographical focus of this dissertation—is always in a state of reform and thus what constitutes quality work within this space is also in constant flux. Contemporary schooling exists in and as a marketplace shaped by neoliberal policies, with goods managed by a cacophony of entities from governmental programs to private organizations. These policies are not only a structural change, but also a method of forming and reforming teachers. Necessarily—inevitably— policy changes what learning looks like, how it is accomplished, and who the music teacher is. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of music teachers who work and interact within the phenomenon of contemporary neoliberal-influenced schools. I examine how music teachers operate and think, maneuver and resist, choose and refuse, submit and comply within the forces that define the conditions of contemporary schools. This topic was examined through a phenomenological case study of a private non- profit organization that manages music teachers in public school settings. Data came from the lived experiences of 8 music teachers, which were elicited through interviews and observations, as well as participant-researcher journals and document collection. Analysis indicated that the phenomenon of contemporary schooling is unique in the ways that teachers enter into the new space, the ways in which work towards or in opposition to performance expectations, and the ways in which they find support in working through perceived contradictions. Implications reveal the ways that education policies shape teacher identity and quality teaching and learning.