Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Higher Education Administration PhD

First Advisor

Hinsdale Bernard

Second Advisor

Jerome D. Thayer

Third Advisor

James Jeffery

Abstract

Problem. Various studies have been conducted internationally on teacher satisfaction in private and public schools. Similar studies have also been done in Seventh-day Adventist church schools around the world. The importance of teacher satisfaction is crucial for the stability of education institutions in shaping students for success in their communities. The purpose of this study was to analyze perceptions of the level of satisfaction on factors deemed important to teachers in Seventh-day Adventist church schools in Zimbabwe. This research study also considered the pattern of teacher turnover in the schools.

Methodology. A stratified random sample of 442 teachers from 32 schools was selected from 1,318 teachers in the 96 schools. A survey, Adventist Teacher Satisfaction Questionnaire, adapted from previous instruments was utilized to solicit teachers’ level of satisfaction with organizational and personal factors that they deemed important. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to analyze data from teachers’ responses. The Adventist Teacher Turnover Questionnaire was used to collect data on teacher turnover from school heads. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the pattern of turnover during the 5-year period 1997-2001.

Research Findings. Teachers in the Seventh-day Adventist church schools in Zimbabwe were dissatisfied with most (34 of 52) of the organizational factors that they considered important. However, they were satisfied with most (22 of 24) of the personal factors that they considered important. In terms of demographics, there were no differences in the level of satisfaction with organizational factors between most of the demographic groups of teachers. However, teachers in rural schools were significantly more dissatisfied with organizational factors than those in urban schools. There were no differences in the level of satisfaction with personal factors between most of the demographic groups of teachers. But, teachers in urban schools were significantly more satisfied with personal factors than those in rural schools. Regarding teacher turnover, the average rate was low and steady during the years 1997-2001. However, there was an increase in teacher turnover in 2001.

Conclusion. This study will help the church schools’ administration in Zimbabwe to focus on organizational factors where there was general dissatisfaction among teachers. Dissatisfaction was expressed more by rural than by urban school teachers. Initial attention therefore would best be directed at improving conditions in rural schools. The low average teacher turnover in the years considered would be no reason to be complacent, particularly noting that there was an increase in 2001 in view of the general dissatisfaction among teachers.

Subject Area

Elementary school teachers--Job satisfaction, Elementary school teachers--Zimbabwe, Teachers--Job satisfaction, Teachers--Zimbabwe, Teacher morale, Seventh-day Adventist elementary schools--Zimbabwe.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/563/

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