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A study of job satisfaction of teachers in Singapore
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Type
Thesis
Author
Ho, Juan Beng
Supervisor
Ho, Wah Kam
Tan, Wee Kiat
Wee, Joo Liat
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate factors which affect satisfaction and dissatisfaction of secondary school teachers in Singapore. The ten job factors selected for study were recognition and status, students, resources, teaching assignment, supervision and guidance, workload, salary and benefits, advancement and growth, co-workers, and management and policy. In addition, three personality variables, namely, central life interests, voluntarism, and locus of control, were also included. The relationships between these factors and personal variables such as sex, age, qualification and experience were also examined.
A questionnaire which comprised five instruments measuring overall job satisfaction, job-factor satisfaction, central life interests, voluntarism, and locus of control was administered to 441 English-medium secondary school teachers in October/November 1983. These teachers were spread over 123 schools out of a total of 134 existing secondary and full schools in Singapore. The sample was randomly selected by computer. Altogether 388 completed questionnaires, representing 88.0% of the total number of sets distributed, were used for analysis.
The results showed that the ten job factors and the three personality variables were significantly correlated with overall job satisfaction. However, the ten job factors together could explain only 33.78% of the variance of overall job satisfaction. If the three personality variables were added to the ten job factors, the amount of variance of overall job satisfaction that could be explained increased to 57.18%.
Generally, the amount of variance of overall job satisfaction that could be explained by the set of thirteen predictors could be increased by having more homogenous samples. For men teachers, the amount of variance explained by the thirteen variables was 55.99% and for women teachers, it was 62.62%. In the case of graduate teachers, 64.83% of the variance was explained by the thirteen variables. However, it was an exception for non-graduate teachers; the amount of variance explained was actually reduced to 53.73%. Further subdivision of the sample would further increase the amount of variance explained.
When the effects of sex, academic qualification, age and experience on overall job satisfaction were analysed one at a time, all of them were statistically significant. However, when the effect of each personal variable was adjusted for the effects of the other personal variables and interactions, sex was the only personal variable that was statistically significant. The effects of these personal variables on the vector of job factors and personality variables followed the same patterns as those on overall job satisfaction. These results call for further investigation.
A questionnaire which comprised five instruments measuring overall job satisfaction, job-factor satisfaction, central life interests, voluntarism, and locus of control was administered to 441 English-medium secondary school teachers in October/November 1983. These teachers were spread over 123 schools out of a total of 134 existing secondary and full schools in Singapore. The sample was randomly selected by computer. Altogether 388 completed questionnaires, representing 88.0% of the total number of sets distributed, were used for analysis.
The results showed that the ten job factors and the three personality variables were significantly correlated with overall job satisfaction. However, the ten job factors together could explain only 33.78% of the variance of overall job satisfaction. If the three personality variables were added to the ten job factors, the amount of variance of overall job satisfaction that could be explained increased to 57.18%.
Generally, the amount of variance of overall job satisfaction that could be explained by the set of thirteen predictors could be increased by having more homogenous samples. For men teachers, the amount of variance explained by the thirteen variables was 55.99% and for women teachers, it was 62.62%. In the case of graduate teachers, 64.83% of the variance was explained by the thirteen variables. However, it was an exception for non-graduate teachers; the amount of variance explained was actually reduced to 53.73%. Further subdivision of the sample would further increase the amount of variance explained.
When the effects of sex, academic qualification, age and experience on overall job satisfaction were analysed one at a time, all of them were statistically significant. However, when the effect of each personal variable was adjusted for the effects of the other personal variables and interactions, sex was the only personal variable that was statistically significant. The effects of these personal variables on the vector of job factors and personality variables followed the same patterns as those on overall job satisfaction. These results call for further investigation.
Date Issued
1985
Call Number
LB2840 Ho
Date Submitted
1985