Teacher Job Satisfaction Among K-12 Public School Teachers: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Sadly, teacher job satisfaction has been recently depicted as a “portrait of broad teacher discontent” (Phi Delta Kappa, 2019, p. k3), negatively impacting teachers’ well-being and retention. This study employed a mixed-methodological approach, composed of (a) an exploratory factor analysis of participant responses to the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (Lester 1982), (b) two open-ended questions, and (c) the covariates of the participants. Participants were K-12 public teachers (n = 129), employed in Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Putnam counties of New York State. Through exploratory factor analysis, this study discovered six factors of teacher job satisfaction: Supportive and Appreciative Supervisor (F1), Collegiality and Workplace Relationships (F2), Income and Job Security (F3), Autonomy, Creativity at Work, and Student Relationship (F4), Working Conditions and School Culture (F5), and Advancement and Professional Growth (F6). Qualitative responses, what teachers were and were not satisfied with in their jobs, augmented the exploratory factor analysis findings. A table of descriptive statistics and histograms were created, prompted by the exceptionality of F2, and a t-test indicated that females who shared views with F2 had more concerns than males over relationships with colleagues (20% at −3.0 SD), when working in schools. This study concluded six factors of teacher job satisfaction, where relationships emerged as the strongest indicator, especially among females. Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective administrators, and creating nurturing work environments for teachers, can positively impact teacher job satisfaction, wellness, and retention.