Teacher Job Satisfaction in a Reform State: The Influence of Teacher Characteristics, Job Dimensions, and Psychological States

Abstract

Despite the importance of job satisfaction, little research exists about this factor as it relates to teachers working in a school reform environment. This study addressed teacher characteristics, job dimensions, and work-related psychological states that predict public school teacher job satisfaction in a school reform state. Teachers (N = 578) completed a modified version of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that the job dimension of teacher autonomy (* = .178) and the psychological states of experienced meaningfulness of the work (* = .431), experienced responsibility for the job (* = .129), and knowledge of results from the job (* = .220) explained 46% of the variance in overall teacher job satisfaction. This result greatly exceeded established criteria for a large effect size in multiple regression analysis. Implications for practice, theory, and future research are discussed.