Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

This study addresses the current status of teacher job satisfaction and motivation and the implications on school administrators in the state of Indiana. Indiana public K-12 teachers were asked to respond to a web-based survey which included items about their overall job satisfaction and motivational levels. The study began with a single grand tour research question: What is the status of Indiana teacher satisfaction and motivation? Four ancillary questions were then developed: Is there a significant difference between gender and teacher job satisfaction and motivation? Is there a significant difference between years of teaching experience and teacher job satisfaction and motivation? Is there a significant difference between developmental level of the teacher and teacher job satisfaction and motivation? Do select demographic variables (i.e., locale and school developmental level) predict teacher job satisfaction and motivation? Three null hypotheses for these questions were developed. Analysis of the preceding questions allowed this study to examine the relationship between teacher and school demographics and teacher perceived professional satisfaction. Ultimately, the three nulls were retained given statistical significance could not be concluded. When asked to rate their overall level of job satisfaction, the majority of Indiana K-12 public school teachers were satisfied at some level. However, many teacher respondents indicated that if they had the chance again, they either were not sure if they would choose the education profession again or they said they absolutely would not. This concerning mindset is certain to impact the profession, and as a result, less teachers may remain in the teaching profession. It is estimated that the United States will have more than two million teaching jobs open by the year 2024 (Chen, 2017). With fewer teachers entering the teaching profession and with high turnover rates for beginning teachers, student achievement will be affected. It is imperative that school administrators and policymakers take action to increase teacher recruitment, increase job satisfaction, and decrease turnover rates. The overall finding of the research was that teacher job satisfaction and motivation still needs to be addressed as a strategic priority.

Download

Share

COinS