Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

Many school districts across the United States struggle to fill positions with qualified teaching candidates. This is especially true in schools with at least 25% or more minority students. Although some teachers are retiring, many teachers leave the profession because of job dissatisfaction (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Herzbergs Motivation Theory (Herzberg et. al., 1959) postulated that certain variables aided in job satisfaction while other variables minimized job dissatisfaction. Herzberg concluded that advancement and growth, responsibility, recognition, achievement, and the work itself created job satisfaction while compensation, working conditions, company policies, supervision, and interpersonal relations minimized dissatisfaction. This quantitative study attempted to aid the research of teacher retention by determining which of these variables created and negated satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the teaching profession through the use of a multiple regression analysis and a Pearson product-moment correlation test. The work itself, advancement and growth, compensation, job security, interpersonal relationships, and job status were found to be statistically significant in urban public schools for Indiana teachers. The results from this study can impact the retention of teachers and aid school administrators in an urban school by creating awareness of the variables that have been proven to have a positive relationship with job satisfaction.

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