Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
8-1988
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Major Professor
Carroll Coakley
Committee Members
George W. Wiegers Jr., Gregory C. Petty, Robert T. Ladd
Abstract
The major purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant difference between the job satisfaction of teachers based on selected demographic characteristics. An overall level of satisfaction and 20 specific satisfaction factors (scales) were measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (long form).
The population for the study consisted of 385 public high school vocational office education teachers in Tennessee. Two hundred and twenty teachers participated in the study.
The data were analyzed using the analysis of variance test to determine whether there was a significant difference among job satisfaction scores of the teachers grouped by the demographic characteristics of gender, marital status, age, educational achievement, years of teaching experience, number of years in current position, annual salary, location of school, size of department, career ladder participation, future career plans, and satisfaction with teaching as a career choice. If a significant difference existed among three or more groups, Duncan's Multiple Range test was used to determine which groups differed significantly.
Major conclusions, based on the findings were the following:
1. There was little relationship between satisfaction with job factors and the demographic characteristics of gender, marital status, age, educational achievement, location of school, and size of the department.
2. Teachers with 11-15 years of teaching experience showed less satisfaction with the factors of Ability Utilization, Activity, Advancement, Creativity, Recognition, Security, and Social Service than did teachers with other levels of experience.
3. Teachers were more satisfied with the factors of Co-Workers and Security as the number of years in their current position increased. Teachers were less satisfied with Working Conditions as the number of years in their current position increased.
4. Teachers in the lowest salary category were least satisfied with Compensation and Security. However, teachers earning $20,000- $21,999 reported lower satisfaction for the factors of Achievement, Activity, Company Policies and Practices, Creativity, Moral Values, Responsibility, Supervision/Technical and General Satisfaction than did teachers in the other salary categories.
5. Teachers at Career Ladder Level II were less satisfied with the factors of Achievement, Authority, Company Policies and Practices, Co-Workers, Recognition, Security, Social Status, and Supervision/Technical than were teachers at other levels.
6. Teachers who planned to continue teaching until retirement were more satisfied with all of the scales and General Satisfaction than were teachers who did not intend to remain in teaching or were undecided about their career.
7. Teachers who would not choose a teaching career again or were undecided about their choice reported less satisfaction with the scales of Advancement, Company Policies and Practices, Compensation, Social Status, Supervision/Human Relations, and General Satisfaction.
Recommended Citation
Givens, Reba Y., "Job satisfaction of Vocational Office Education teachers in Tennessee as determined by selected demographic factors. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1988.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/11874