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Relationship of organizational factors to commitment and sense of efficacy in a secondary school
Author
Lee, Kok Hong
Supervisor
Mau, Rosalind Y.
Abstract
This study examines the organisational factors are related to commitment and sense of efficacy of those teachers who have taught for at least six years in a school. It examines the relationship between principal leadership and teacher commitment and a sense of efficacy as well. The main purpose is to provide recommendations for the school to restructure its procedures to increase the commitment and sense of efficacy of all teachers in the school.
The sample consists of all 68 teachers in the school. Two instruments are used in this study. The first part of the teachers' attitudes survey consist of 68 Likert-Scale items and one open-ended item that are largely adapted from overseas studies on teacher commitment and sense of efficacy. The items attempt to measure the orderly disciplinary climate, manager responsiveness, teachers' influence in decision making, principal venturesomeness, collegial work, principal leadership, buffers, goal congruence, feedback on performance , teacher commitment and sense of efficacy. The second part of the survey consists of seven items where respondents provide information on gender, martial status, academic qualification, years of trained teaching experience, years of service in the school, subjects taught, and teaching load. A pilot study was conducted with two similar schools to validate the survey. The other instrument is a structured interview used with teachers and a principal of a school. The study is a descriptive research that is correctional because it examines the relationships between teacher commitment and a sense of efficacy (dependent variables ) and organisational factors in the school (independent variables). There were three parts in the data collection, namely, the survey that is administered to the 68 teachers , the focused interviews with six groups of teachers each, and a personal interview with the principal. A ten-minute presentation to explain the rationale and conceptual framework of the study was conducted before administrating the survey.
The findings lend considerable support to the proposition that teacher commitment is related to a sense of efficacy, there is a significant difference between those teachers who have taught for at least six years and those who have taught for less than six years in the school. For teachers who have taught in the school for least six years, teacher commitment is related to manager responsiveness, and sense of efficacy is related to orderly disciplinary climate. For those who have taught for less than six years, teacher commitment and sense of efficacy are related to goal congruence and manage responsiveness. The study also reveals that there is a significant difference in teacher commitment between the non-graduate and the graduate teachers and between the male and female teachers. The study suggests that teaching experience, teachers' workload and their length of service in the school are not likely to be related to their commitment and sense of efficacy in the school.
The study also highlights some management practices that can be restructured for the school being investigated. For school leadership, a top-down and bottom-up approach is preferred instead of just empowering the teachers. A participatory decision-making system where younger teachers are involved in planning and implementation of school policies and where older teachers are involved in the formulation of policy is recommended. For staff development, the school may wan to consider the performance appraisal system and to extend the mentoring system instead for the 360-degree system and entails evaluation from all levels including students and parents. For the development of the school culture, it is recommended that the discipline and pupil welfare committee work together to streamline the discipline policies to support teaching and learning.
The sample consists of all 68 teachers in the school. Two instruments are used in this study. The first part of the teachers' attitudes survey consist of 68 Likert-Scale items and one open-ended item that are largely adapted from overseas studies on teacher commitment and sense of efficacy. The items attempt to measure the orderly disciplinary climate, manager responsiveness, teachers' influence in decision making, principal venturesomeness, collegial work, principal leadership, buffers, goal congruence, feedback on performance , teacher commitment and sense of efficacy. The second part of the survey consists of seven items where respondents provide information on gender, martial status, academic qualification, years of trained teaching experience, years of service in the school, subjects taught, and teaching load. A pilot study was conducted with two similar schools to validate the survey. The other instrument is a structured interview used with teachers and a principal of a school. The study is a descriptive research that is correctional because it examines the relationships between teacher commitment and a sense of efficacy (dependent variables ) and organisational factors in the school (independent variables). There were three parts in the data collection, namely, the survey that is administered to the 68 teachers , the focused interviews with six groups of teachers each, and a personal interview with the principal. A ten-minute presentation to explain the rationale and conceptual framework of the study was conducted before administrating the survey.
The findings lend considerable support to the proposition that teacher commitment is related to a sense of efficacy, there is a significant difference between those teachers who have taught for at least six years and those who have taught for less than six years in the school. For teachers who have taught in the school for least six years, teacher commitment is related to manager responsiveness, and sense of efficacy is related to orderly disciplinary climate. For those who have taught for less than six years, teacher commitment and sense of efficacy are related to goal congruence and manage responsiveness. The study also reveals that there is a significant difference in teacher commitment between the non-graduate and the graduate teachers and between the male and female teachers. The study suggests that teaching experience, teachers' workload and their length of service in the school are not likely to be related to their commitment and sense of efficacy in the school.
The study also highlights some management practices that can be restructured for the school being investigated. For school leadership, a top-down and bottom-up approach is preferred instead of just empowering the teachers. A participatory decision-making system where younger teachers are involved in planning and implementation of school policies and where older teachers are involved in the formulation of policy is recommended. For staff development, the school may wan to consider the performance appraisal system and to extend the mentoring system instead for the 360-degree system and entails evaluation from all levels including students and parents. For the development of the school culture, it is recommended that the discipline and pupil welfare committee work together to streamline the discipline policies to support teaching and learning.
Date Issued
1999
Call Number
LB2806 Lee
Date Submitted
1999