The Importance of Teacher Job Satisfaction - Essay Example

Comprehensive Research Plan Outline This is the template to follow. Everything in bold is what I have completed. Please correct and adjust whereneeded. There are some areas that will need your expertise. At the end of the document, I have listed the references for this section. Feel free to use as many as you need to get the focus across). I. Title: The Importance of Teacher Job Satisfaction in an Era of School Reform within the Corridor of Shame A. Type of relationship between variables: Description B. Key Variables: 1. Independent: Teachers’ job satisfaction 2. Dependent: Students’ academic performance C. Applicable Population: 20 K-12 public school educators in the town of Dillon II. Abstract: A considerable decline in the number of qualified educators pursuing teaching career has been observed in this decade. One of the causative factors identified in this decline is the satisfaction of a teacher (i.e. safety, salaries, administrative and parental support). Like the students, educators also want to feel safe, secured, respected, and well - supported. Rooney (2003) suggests that “the wisdom of the good school must be worked out by those who live within its walls” yet there are so many issues in education which varies from highly qualified staff to unsafe school buildings and all areas in between. According to Weissbourd (2003), "schools can best support students moral development by helping teachers manage the stresses of their profession by increasing teachers capacity for reflection and empathy.” Another concern addressed by disenfranchised educators is the lack of state and federal funding to secure an adequate education. “School districts in poor rural communities have suffered funding issues for generations” (Borman, 2003); however, under public interest, the concern for teachers’ satisfaction oftentimes goes unnoticed. A qualitative random sample will be drawn from 20 K-12 public school teachers representing Dillon County School District Two. Survey and interview questions will be distributed to each educator. The researcher will then analyze the data using the appropriate statistical method. A. Problem under study: Lack of safety and salary as well as unsatisfactory administrative and parental support are the causative factors in the decline of the teachers entering the classroom. The problem addressed by this study is the significance teacher job satisfaction on student academic achievement. B. Key Variables 1. Independent Teachers’ job satisfaction 2. Dependent: Students’ academic performance C. Participants: 1. Population: 20 K-12 educators from 6 schools in Dillon County School District Two, Dillon, South Carolina. 2. Sample: a). Procedure: b). Size: 30% of the student population disenfranchised school districts D. Research Design: Qualitative study E. Instrumentation and materials: Survey forms and questionnaires containing 10 questions focusing on the job fulfillment of a teacher. F. Data Collection Procedures: Survey forms and questionnaires comprising 10 questions will be distributed to 20 K - 12 educators from 6 schools in Dillon County District Two. This one week study consists of surveys and interview questions that will highlight on teachers’ satisfaction and students’ achievement. Day 1: Permit from the District Superintendent Day 2: Permit from the School Principal Day 3: Random Selection of the teachers from the 6 schools Day 4: Distribution of survey forms and questionnaires Day 5: Collection of the survey forms and questionnaires Day 6: Interpretation and analysis of data Day 7: Presentation of the result to the District Superintendent and School Principal. G. Data Analysis Plan: Data will be analyzed using comparison of results and observation. III. Introduction (Chapter 1 of a dissertation) School Administrators and Principals are facing a dilemma in providing quality education to their students. A. Opening Statement (bring the reader into the topic): Problem Statement: The lack of teachers’ safety, salaries, and unsatisfactory administrative and parental support are the causative factors for teachers’ dissatisfaction. The problem addressed in this study is the significance of teachers’ job satisfaction has on the students’ academic achievement. 1. State the problem with supporting detail a). Location of the problem: Underprivileged schools in the rural South b). Identification of the problem: Current research suggests that there is a parallel between teacher quality and student achievement (p.56). Teacher satisfaction (i.e. safety, salaries, administrative and parental support) could influence how teachers instruct. c). Current situation: Academic achievement continues to remain below average in some poor school districts in South Carolina. d). Population: e) Impact: To improve teachers’ performance level through the identification of factors that hinders the professional growth of a teacher (i.e. dissatisfaction). f) Possible lines of research: Description of the schools being surveyed, identification of the students and teachers population, and the effects of the school environment on the academic performance of the students. g) Focus of current study: Description of whether teacher job satisfaction can positively or negatively affect student achievement on standardized test scores B. Background of Study (Please provide 1 paragraph in regards to the background of the study. We will use references from the manuscript I provided earlier for condensing) This study focuses on the gap that exists between the quality of educational services K-12 schools should and actually offer. To refine this gap, a greater perception of teacher - student development is required. Accordingly, this study examines the componential elements of either process, with focus on student and teacher development. As argued by academic literatures and theories in question, a teacher’s development is integral to student development and may be identified as one of its enablers. 1. Summary of literature framing history of problem: This study critically reviewed three main bodies of literature, namely: professional and student development and systems theory. Professional development literature was examined to portray a big-picture view of the topic, done by proposing that a time-based continuum and a continuum of assumptions about teaching could be helpful for understanding the patterns in professional development. The component illustrated that much of past and present professional development is aligned with technical notions of teaching and much of the yet-to-be-widely-realized, and therefore, future incarnations of professional development are aligned with an intellectual view of teaching. This was succeeded by a review of Chickering and Reisser’s theory of student development and the influence of environmental variables upon it. Its relevance to the present study was the application in the area of educational reform and is getting some attention in the arena of professional development. 2. Gaps and/or deficiencies in prior research: A small population of teachers will be studied. 3. Importance of present study a). Why the study should be pursued: Education is a very important tool for success. Hence, it is a must to identify the factors that affect the teachers’ function and students’ academic performance. b.) For whom is it important? Researchers, policy makers, stakeholders, administrators, and educators C. Purpose of the study The purpose of this proposed study is to determine whether teachers’ job satisfaction influences student academic achievement. Current research suggests that teachers without support leave the profession before tenure is established. 1. Research Design: Qualitative Design 2. Theory tested or described: Developmental 3. Intent: Describe 4. Variables: a) Independent: Teachers’ job satisfaction b).Dependent: Students’ academic performance 5. Participants: 20 K -12 educators 6. Site: The six schools located within the district 7. General definitions of independent and dependant variables: D. Significance of the study: Researchers imagining possible future for professional development position are squarely in discussion with school reform and renewal. Elmore (1996) notes, “There is growing consensus among educational reformers that professional development for teachers and administrators lies at the center of educational reform and instructional improvement” (p. 2). Several researchers (Lieberman, 1995; Little, 1993; Stein, Smith, & Silver, 1999; Supovitz, 2002) consistently link school reform with professional development of teachers. Even the new accountability legislation recognizes the significance of high quality teaching and professional development as a means to its end of adequate yearly progress (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). Some see professional development as necessary and important parts of school reform, while others view it as a lynchpin. No matter how central a role professional development will play in school reform, there is quite a list of authors who have contributed lists of principles about what professional development should be like 1. Practical contributions of the study: a.) Research on topic, and/or to: b.) Practice in the field, and/or to: This will heighten the awareness of this issue and call for additional research on this subject c.) Defining policy, and/or to: This will influence future funding initiatives and decisions in regards to education reform 2. For whom the study is important: a). Researchers: This study is important on the part of the researcher because whatever will be the result of this research will prove the concept on the teachers and students. b). Practitioners: They will be able to identify and improve their strengths and weakness. c). Participant population: This will improve the performance level of their educators and in return, help each student improve their academic performance. E. Nature of Study: 1. Design a). Paradigm: Qualitative b). Design: (1). Non-experimental: Qualitative design (2). Longitudinal c). Rationale: 2. Methodology a). Population (1) Definition: 20 K - 12 teachers, 2 from each grade level (2) Size, if known, or approximate/estimated size: 20 K - 12 teachers b.) Sampling (1) Type of sampling: Simple random sample (2) How the sample will be drawn: A simple random sample of approximately 20 teachers will be used to ensure a 95% percent confidence rating and unbiased sampling. The simple random sample will be drawn from the population using a list of numbers generated by the researcher. (3) Sample size and why chosen in relation to population size: c). Instrumentation and materials (1) Identity: The survey and questionnaires generated by the researcher (2) Reliability: Information compiled from past research and analyzed and measured to determine consistency. (3) Validity: One week valid d). Data analysis plan: Data will be analyzed using the appropriate procedures generated by the researcher F. Research question(s) and, if appropriate, hypothesis (hypotheses are not appropriate for descriptive studies 1. Research question(s): What are the reasons behind teachers’ job dissatisfaction? Does teacher job satisfaction influence student classroom productivity? a.) Question Word: What/Does b.) Independent variable: Teacher job satisfaction c.) Analysis (description, comparison, relationship): Description d.) Dependant variable: Student achievement e.) Population: 20 K-12 public school educators from six county schools in South Carolina f.) Control variables: 2. Null and alternative hypotheses for each research question Null: There is not a correlation between teacher job satisfaction and student achievement Alternative: Teachers who are satisfied with their job have higher student achievement success. H. Theoretical Framework: Teachers who are satisfied with their job produce students with higher performance level. (***This area explains what research states about the issue. It is highlighted to give a better understanding of what follows theoretical framework and is not apart of this research study***) If history is any indication of how educational growth is to manifest in deprived school districts, administration, practitioners, and stakeholders may need to realign their methods of delivery. Studies indicate that African American, Latino, and white students have become more inaccessible to each other that the resegregation of schools seems imminent. “Resegregation would not matter so much if racial segregation were not linked to unequal education. Nine-tenths of intensely segregated schools for African-Americans and Latinos have high concentrations of poverty (The Civil Rights Project, 2002). To narrow the achievement gap, stakeholders must take a proactive approach to ensure equity in all classrooms. “If we insist on quality teachers for every student, we can dramatically improve the achievement of the poor and minority students and substantially narrow the achievement gap (Haycock, p.11). Educational communities that are willing to generate the much needed attention to gain academic results for its students should consider collectively identifying the problem and evaluate how the problem will be resolved. 1. Name theory: Developmental theory 2. Specify origin of or source for theory: Various development theories that hypothesize student developmental stages are explored by Komives and Woodard (1996), such as “Piaget’s cognitive-structural theory, Perry’s theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development, Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development, Gilligan’s Theory of Women’s Moral Development” (pp. 172-178). Of utmost importance is the research by Chickering and Reisser (1993) that leads them to formulate the seven vectors of student development theory (pp. 36-37), namely: (1) Intellectual competence, knowledge acquisition, and skills; (2) Managing emotions; (3) Moving through autonomy toward interdependence; (4) Developing mature interpersonal relationships; (5) Establishing identity; (6) Developing purpose; (7) Developing Integrity. 3. State where and how theory has been applied previously: Chickering and Reisser (1993) that leads them to formulate the seven vectors of student development theory Bandura & Walters, 1963; social learning and personality development. 4. State the major propositions or hypotheses of the theory: Recent research study suggests that student conferences provide valuable opportunities to learn what students believe helps or hinders their academic achievement (Alson, 2003). 5. State how the theory relates to the present study (how it informs the expected the relationship between independent and dependent variables): Student development theory is very important in assessing teachers’ satisfaction and students’ academic performance. It also helps them develop and improve teachers’ personality so that it will help the student excel in school. 6. Provide rationale for the expectation presented in 5. In schools, the satisfaction of a teacher is important so that the educators can provide a quality service to the students. This satisfaction is inevitable and should reflect in the aura of every educator. Hence, teachers’ satisfaction is reflected in the academic performance of their students. I. Definitions: 1.) Independent variables: Teachers’ job satisfaction 2.) Dependent: Student scholastic performance 3.) Other key terms: Students at risk, teachers’ satisfaction, students’ performance J. Assumptions: Students of a fulfilled teacher are expected to be academically successful at the end of the school year. K. Scope, delimitations, and limitations 1.) Scope: This study determines the correlation between a satisfied teachers and the academic achievement of a student 2.) Delimitations: Only the teachers’ who are randomly picked by the researcher will be investigated thoroughly. The students who are not under these teachers will be excluded in the study. Narrow the scope in relation to one or more of the following: a. Design: Personality b. Variables c. Participants d. Time: This is a one - week period study e. Resources f. Location: Town of Dillon 3.) Limitations: Teachers who are satisfied with their job does not necessarily foresee that scholastic achievement will consequently increase. a). Potential design and/or methodological weakness of the study: Participating educators may be afraid of divulging their identities that may potentially lead them to withdraw. b). Explain how the weakness will be addressed: Participating educators will be asked to complete the survey forms and the questionnaires within a day. The researcher should strictly impose confidentiality of information. L. Summary Briefly restate each key section of chapter (capital letter per outline); be careful not to change the meaning of important statements, such as the problem statement. Use exactly the same words as used in the main text. Teachers’ job satisfaction and its relationship on the academic performance of a student are the focus of this research study. A recommendation from the District Superintendent will be presented to the School Principal so that the researcher can randomly pick two educators from each grade level. These educators will fill up a survey and questionnaire and the results will be correlated on the performance of their students. IV. Literature Review (Chapter 2 of dissertation) A. Introduction (preview of major sections and subsections of the review) 1. Teacher job satisfaction Teachers Who Learn, Kids Who Achieve (WestEd Publication, 2000) noted that school success is attributed from professional development innovation, inclusive of formal workshops, seminars, and informal occasions of collegial interactions and conversations. Professional development discussions are geared towards improvement of formally and informally trained teachers. 2. Academic achievement a.) Educational reform must consider the environment within which the system in question exists, thus, adopting systems approach. `Environment’ is used in reference to external constraints placed upon organizations during the late 1970s (Aldrich, 1979). This includes not only the resources pool, but multitudes of external factors. Adaptation was defined as the process where an organization strategically evolve to become viable in its environment, the process of changing the environment to better suit the organization is also encompassed (Aldrich, 1979). b.) In A Place Called School, Goodlad (1984) claimed that health of “educational ecosystems” is dependent on each educational organism performing a needed function self-consciously, to be aware of the others and to portray the others empathetically (p. 43). Goodlad noted that this is an important way to think about schools, because they function as individuals within a complex array of educating institutions and agencies (p. 43). 3. a.) B. Body of the review using subheadings to guide the reader: 1. Studies related to independent variable: Elmore (1996) notes a growing consensus among educational reformers that teachers and administrators professional development rest at the center of educational reform and instructional improvement (p. 2). 2. Studies that relate to dependent variable: Banathy (1991; 1992; 1996) provided an understanding of how systems thought can be part of disciplined inquiry in education and explains how these systems view is needed. Among these problems has been the inability of the present educational system to keep up with the demands of society. 3. Studies related to interaction of independent and dependent variables: A new systems theory was found for analyzing the complex array of problems and challenges of re-designing schools. In The Fifth Discipline, Senge (1990) promotes five disciplines essential to creating learning organizations, namely: personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning and systems thinking. A decade later, Senge (2000) published how the five disciplines could be applied to the messy problem of educational reform. 4. If important to understand the study, review of research designs previously applied to current topic: Survey and Questionnaires C. Summary and Conclusion 1. Most important studies: 2. Major themes: 3. Gaps and deficiencies in prior work: A gap exists between the quality of educational services K-12 schools should and actually offer. 4. Placement of present study in the body of literature: V. Design and methodology (Chapter 3 of a dissertation) A. Introduction: The purpose of this proposed study is to determine if teachers’ job satisfaction influences student academic achievement. Current research suggests that teachers without support leave the profession before tenure is established. 1. Professional Development A proponent of systems theory and its application to the redesign of schools, Reigeluth (1993; 1997) recognizes professional development as an important feature of successfully redesigned schools. System thinking points professional development as an important aspect of educational attainment and applied to specific questions surrounding professional development. Elmore (1996) notes the limited number of districts that approach professional development systemically. He studied systemic uses of professional development necessarily involve in the study of a handful of specific cases (p. 3). 2. Additional research a.) Knight (2002) makes an explicit connection between systems thinking and professional development in his article, A Systemic Approach to Professional Development: Learning as Practice. Knight discusses the need for continuous, life-long learning and suggests that communities of practice in schools provide an appropriate venue for such learning. b.) Wasley (1997) observes the problem of learning in the language of systems theory. According to the feedback, problematic conditions in schooling acknowledge that teachers need time as part of their professional day to learn more about their work and local communities does not see it as integral to development of childrens capabilities (p. 64, emphasis added). c.) Speck and Knipe (2001) include systems thinking in their list affecting professional development suggesting that it provides professional development planners with the perspective of viewing the whole system and the interrelationships of the parts while assuring planners that change is continuous (p. 217) and to be effective, educators, one must view professional development practices in the context of the larger system (p. 2 17). The literature illustrates that those who apply systemic thinking to the arena of school reform recognize the importance of professional development. 3. Funding initiatives in education reform a.) Hale, 2004 b.) Rothstein, 2004 c.) Popham, 2004 d.) Hess, 2003 B. Design 1. Paradigm and specific design: 2. Rationale for paradigm and design: 3. Paradigms/designs/traditions rejected with rationale: 4. Restatement of research question(s)/hypotheses C. Methodology 1. Population a.) Definition: b.) Size, if known, or approximate/estimated size: 20 K - 12 teachers will be chosen randomly. Two teachers will be chosen from each grade level. 2. Sampling a.) Type of sampling: Random Sampling b.) How will the sample will be drawn, in detail: The researcher will randomly pick 20 K - 12 educators, two teachers will be chosen from each grade level. c.) Sample size and why chosen in relation to population size: 20 K-12 educators 3. Instrumentation and materials: Survey Forms and Questionnaires a.) Reliability and validity for each data collection instrument: Tallies from responses gathered from a 10 item survey will be used. This study is considered reliable and valid after presenting the questionnaires to the District Supervisor and School Principal. The results of the proposed research study will be presented to the District Supervisor and School Principal. b.) Rationale/justification for each tool: This study is practical and cost efficient. 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