Term of Award
Fall 2009
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Education Administration (Ed.D.)
Document Type and Release Option
Dissertation (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development
Committee Chair
Charles Reavis
Committee Member 1
Barbara J. Mallory
Committee Member 2
Gregory Chamblee
Abstract
Job satisfaction can be viewed as somewhat of a reflection of how an employee feels they are treated within the work setting and can also affect physical and emotional well-being. Concerns about supervisory relationships, expectations, working conditions, peer relationships, and communication channels are key factors in determining job satisfaction for teachers. Consequently, the level of job satisfaction a teacher feels toward his or her job can affect organizational functioning and may become a reflection of organizational functioning. The researcher administered a Likert-scale survey, The Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, developed by Spector to 241 teachers who work in correctional facilities in the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice School System for the purpose of developing an understanding of job satisfaction among teachers in this school system. Survey results were obtained through a 40% return rate from the research sample. Sixty-six percent of teachers who responded to the survey indicated job satisfaction while 34% indicated job dissatisfaction. The researcher also analyzed levels of job satisfaction between demographics and the nine subscales of the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. The researcher found teachers working in Regional Youth Detention Centers had higher overall levels of job satisfaction than those working in Youth Development Campuses. Working conditions and communication were two areas that were rated higher in terms of job satisfaction by teachers at the Regional Youth Detention centers than by those at the Youth Development Campuses. The researcher also found that the workplace condition of size emerged as significant, especially with teachers who work with special populations. The researcher found that teachers with more years teaching experience and those with higher levels of certification were more satisfied with their jobs than those with less years teaching experience and lower levels of certification. The researcher also found that no one specific factor contributed to job satisfaction, making job satisfaction a difficult and complex challenge for any school system seeking to retain teachers. The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice could benefit from continuing to promote the cultivation of a positive organizational climate in which the schools within facilities provide places where students can learn in a safe, structured, orderly environment; and educational staff can work successfully toward focusing on instruction. Data from this study can serve to assist in pinpointing specific areas of concern that may require the attention of administrative personnel to help in eliminating potential areas of dissatisfaction that would increase the possibility of teachers remaining in their positions.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Rufus Douglas, "Teacher Job Satisfaction in the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice School System" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 375.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/375
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
