Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2012

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education

Major Professor

Ernest W. Brewer

Committee Members

Gregory C. Petty, Thomas Turner, Jason Huff

Abstract

The attrition rate of teachers is alarming (Darling-Hammond, 2002; Keigher, 2010; Marvel, Lyter, Peltola, Strizek, & Morton, 2006). Factor of the attrition include teachers leaving the profession due to lack of job satisfaction or lack of administrative support (Angelle, 2002; Littrell, 1994; Schlichte, Yssel, & Merbler, 2005). Frameworked by Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman, 1959), this web-based, quantitative, descriptive study explored the connections between job satisfaction and perceived leadership behaviors. Participants included 302 teachers from public secondary schools in Central and East Tennessee. Instruments used were the Job Satisfaction Survey ([JSS], Spector, 1994), the Study of School Leadership School Staff Questionnaire ([SSLSSQ], Consortium for Policy Research in Education, 2005), and a researcher-created demographics questionnaire. The JSS measured overall job satisfaction and nine individual facets. The SSLSSQ measured five chosen leadership scales (organizational climate, efficacy, trust and support, professional learning community, and academic pressure). The demographics variables were gender, marital status, ethnicity, discipline area, age, school size, tenure status, and number of years under current principal. The study was web-based. Participants completed all three parts online. Analyses included descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, MANOVAs, and regression analysis. Six null hypotheses were tested and all rejected. Statistically significant differences existed between the overall satisfaction and the demographic variables of gender, marital status, tenure, and years under the current principal. Statistically significant differences existed among multiple pairings of each of the facets of the JSS and individual demographic variables. Statistically significant differences existed among multiple pairings of each of the leadership scales and individual demographic variables. A statistically significant relationship existed between overall job satisfaction and overall composite score of the leadership scales. Statistically significant relationships existed between the overall job satisfaction and several of the leadership scales. Statistically significant relationships existed among multiple pairings of facets of the JSS and leadership scales.

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