Uppeldi og menntun - 01.01.2010, Side 128

Uppeldi og menntUn/icelandic JoUrnal of edUcation 19(1–2)/2010128
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Job satisfaction among secondary school teachers
Intrinsic and extrinsic factors
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Despite general agreement among scholars about the importance of job satisfaction,
the definition of job satisfaction and methods of measuring it have proved problematic.
It has been pointed out that the criteria of any such measurement may be influenced
by individual differences and circumstances at any given time. Some scholars who
have explored job satisfaction among teachers have adopted Herzberg‘s discussion on
intrinsic and extrinsic influencing factors in teaching.
This article aims to answer the questions: What are the main factors affecting job
satisfaction among secondary school teachers? Are intrinsic motivational factors within
the work environment more significant than extrinsic factors? Intrinsic motivational
factors are encompassed in the job itself, while extrinsic factors, such as wages and job
organization, are more fixed.
Despite the importance of the work of secondary school teachers, since this
professional group works with students taking their first steps into the adult world,
few studies have been done on secondary school teachers’ job satisfaction.
To understand the teachers’ views on job satisfaction qualitative face-to-face inter-
views based on Grounded Theory were taken with 12 secondary school teachers
in three schools in the Greater Reykjavík area. The schools were of different type
and size. Male and female teachers between 24 and 62 years old were interviewed.
Some had worked as teachers in physics or social sciences for 25 years; others had
been secondary school teachers for only a year. Most of the interviews were taken
at the teachers’ homes between September and November 2008. All interviews were
anonymous.
The results of the study show that intrinsic motivational factors affect job satisfaction
among secondary school teachers to a greater degree than extrinsic factors, although
extrinsic factors did matter. External factors in teachers’ working environment, such
as salary, equipment, and communication with supervisors and colleagues, were
more likely to be mentioned by respondents in connection with job dissatisfaction
than job satisfaction, whereas intrinsic motivational factors – personal development,
responsibility, autonomy and achieving results – were linked more to job satisfaction.
For teachers, job satisfaction is clearly linked to interaction with students. Teachers
attach importance to getting students interested in their subject and to achieving
academic results, as well as to forming positive relationships with students, built on
values such as concern, fairness, trust and respect.
Other factors respondents mentioned as importance for job satisfaction were job
autonomy, diverseness and responsibility, opportunities for professional development,
and the fact that teaching meant they could use their specialist knowledge and interest
in their subject. Professionalism, knowledge, expertise and interest were factors that