Date of Award

Fall 11-2010

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Jill Hutcheson

Second Advisor

Dr. Greg Batenhorst

Third Advisor

Dr. John Long

Abstract

School districts across the country make many decisions that impact teachers’ satisfaction both positively and negatively. With statistics reporting a significant number of teachers leaving the profession in the first 5 years of experience, determining the reasons for teacher dissatisfaction are important in shaping district practices to be more supportive and satisfying to teachers. The purpose of this research study was to (a) determine the satisfaction level of teachers in a specific school district, (b) determine the practices school principals have put into place and how they relate to the factors identified in the research as being contributive to teacher satisfaction levels, (c) determine the alignment of administrator practices and perceptions with those perceived by teachers in the same district, and (d) compare the results of the suburban school district in this study with the results of a rural school district to determine if demographics influenced the results of this research. The data produced through this study showed teachers in the suburban school district were satisfied in their positions and professions. These teachers indicated their satisfaction on a majority of questions asked in the Factors Influencing Teacher Satisfaction Survey. The majority of responses in the highly satisfied to moderately satisfied categories in this survey supported alignment between school district practices and practices identified through the research as being supportive of teacher satisfaction. In a comparison of the administrator follow-up interview responses and teacher follow-up interview responses, a strong alignment existed between the two groups’ perceptions and practices perceived to be in place within the suburban school district. The results of this study when compared with the rural school district revealed that demographics had no impact on teacher job satisfaction.

Rights

Copyright 2010

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