The quality of the educational workplace as perceived by the most effective teachers

Author

Cheryl A. Kershaw

Date of Award

3-1987

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Curriculum and Instruction

Major Professor

Jerry J. Bellon

Committee Members

Estil Alexander, Charles Chance, Francis Trusty

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify those workplace factors of imporatnce to the career satisfaction of effective teachers and to assess their levels of satisfaction in the educational workplace. The study was also concerned with determining whether differences in perception existed between the teachers identified as most effective and their peers and if those perceptions varied according to years of teaching experience.

Four schools in three states in the southeastern and midwestern United States, all participating in the Quality of the Educational Workplace (QEW) research, served as the data source for this study. The population was composed of 227 full time classroom teachers, 227 surveyed and 53, identified as among the most effective, interviewed.

Twelve workplace factors were identified as important to the effective teachers' quality of worklife. Sense of achievement was identified as the most important and the most satisfied factor. Among the least satisfied factors were work load, formal rewards system, and status. Overall, the workplace factors were less satisfied than they were important to the teachers.

It was concluded that the quality of the workplace is important to the teachers in the study, although perhaps not much more so for the group identified as among the most effective than for their peers. All of the workplace factors are important to all of the teachers and are not being satisfied to their levels of importance. The unique characteristics of an individual school, defined as the educational workplace, have more of an impact upon the teachers' perceptions than do experience or ability level. Among those teachers identified as the most effective, there are a number for whom a future career in teaching may depend on implementing changes directed toward improving the quality of the educational workplace.

Recommended Citation

Kershaw, Cheryl A., "The quality of the educational workplace as perceived by the most effective teachers. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1987.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/12085