Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study

Shayla Hawes; Timothy Nelson

doi:10.29333/ajqr/10792

Shayla Hawes ¹ ^* , Timothy Nelson ¹

More Detail

AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 5, Issue 1, pp. 44-66

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10792

OPEN ACCESS 3320 Views 1881 Downloads

Download Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of rural experienced middle school teachers in Tennessee with low job satisfaction. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (EST) was the theoretical framework guiding this study. EST is composed of five environmental systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. This study included participation from 10 experienced teachers with 5 or more years of teaching experience who demonstrated low job satisfaction in Tennessee according to the results of a questionnaire given prior to conducting the study. The central research question guiding this study was, what are experienced middle school teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction as a lived experience in rural Tennessee? The four sub questions were designed to investigate how teacher workload, collegial experience, administrative leadership and support, and student behavior impact job satisfaction. Data for this study were collected through individual interviews, an online focus group interview, and a reflective journal, and produced four major themes: (a) unrealistic expectations, (b) middle school environment, (c) students, and (d) middle school teacher challenges. The findings revealed participants’ perceived administrators and policy makers had unrealistic expectations on their teachers due to being disconnected from their teachers. The findings also indicated participants’ environment at the middle school level was challenging as they dealt with the basic needs of students before educating them. Participants expressed that collegial support was vital to the profession and that they loved teaching but had negative perceptions about the challenges they often encounter on the job.

Keywords: Low Job Satisfaction, Middle Schools, Rural Schools.

References

Aldridge, J. M., & Fraser, B. J. (2016). Teachers’ views of their school climate and its relationship with teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Learning Environments Research, 19(2), 291–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-015-9198-x
Azano, A. P., & Stewart, T. T. (2015). Exploring place and practicing justice: Preparing pre-service teachers for success in rural schools. Journal of Research in Rural Education (Online), 30(9), 1-12.
Balwant, P. T. (2016). Socio-demographic predictors of secondary school teacher absenteeism in Trinidad. International Journal of Employment Studies, 24(1).
Banerjee, N., Stearns, E., Moller, S., & Mickelson, R. A. (2017). Teacher job satisfaction and student achievement: The roles of teacher professional community and teacher collaboration in schools. American Journal of Education, 123(2), 203–241.
Benner, A. D., Boyle, A. E., & Sadler, S. (2016). Parental involvement and adolescents' educational success: The roles of prior achievement and socioeconomic status. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(6), 1053–1064. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0431-4
Benoliel, P., & Barth, A. (2017). The implications of the school’s cultural attributes in the relationships between participative leadership and teacher job satisfaction and burnout. Journal of Educational Administration, 55(6), 640–656. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-10-2016-0116
Bogler, R., & Nir, A. E. (2014). The contribution of perceived fit between job demands and abilities to teachers’ commitment and job satisfaction. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(4), 541–560. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143214535736
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1976). The experimental ecology of education (ED131025). American Educational Research Association. ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED131025.pdf
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Harvard University Press.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). Occupational outlook handbook. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/middle-school-teachers.htm
#tab-3
Burns, M. K., Warmbold-Brann, K., & Zaslofsky, A. F. (2016). Ecological systems theory in school psychology review. School Psychology Review, 44(3), 249-261. https://doi.org/10.17105/spr-15-0092.1
Cansoy, R., & Parlar, H. (2018). Examining the relationship between school principals’ instructional leadership behaviors, teacher self-efficacy, and collective teacher efficacy. International Journal of Educational Management, 32(4), 550–567. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2017-0089
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage.
Cucchiara, M. B., Rooney, E., & Robertson-Kraft, C. (2015). “I’ve never seen people work so hard!” teachers’ working conditions in the early stages of school turnaround. Urban Education, 50(3), 259-287.
De Klerk, E. D., Palmer, J. M., & Modise, A. (2021). Re-prioritizing Teachers’ Social Emotional Learning in Rural Schools Beyond Covid-19. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 8(2), 68-88.
Desouky, D., & Allam, H. (2017). Occupational stress, anxiety, and depression among Egyptian teachers. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 7(3), 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2017.06.002
Dou, D., Devos, G., & Valcke, M. (2016). The relationship between school autonomy gap, principal leadership, teachers’ job satisfaction job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 45(6), 959–977. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216653975
Drummond, A., & Halsey, R. J. (2014). Rural leadership preparation associated with higher job satisfaction. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 24(3), 43–48. http://www.spera.asn.au/school/publications/journals/15/57
Evers, A. T., van der Heijden, B. I. J. M., Kreijns, K., & Vermeulen, M. (2015). Job demands, job resources, and flexible competence: The mediating role of teachers’ professional development at work. Journal of Career Development, 43(3), 227–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845315597473
Evers, A. T., Yamkovenko, B., & Van Amersfoort, D. (2017). How to keep teachers healthy and growing: The influence of job demands and resources. European Journal of Training and Development, 41(8), 670–686. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-03-2017-0018
Ford, T. G., Van Sickle, M. E., Clark, L. V., Fazio-Brunson, M., & Schween, D. C. (2017). Teacher self-efficacy, professional commitment, and high-stakes teacher evaluation policy in Louisiana. Educational Policy, 31(2), 202–248. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904815586855
Gius, M. (2015). A comparison of teacher job satisfaction in public and private schools. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 19(3), 155–164.
Gkolia, A., Belias, D., & Koustelios, A. (2014). Teacher’s job satisfaction and self-efficacy: A review. European Scientific Journal, 10(22), 321–342. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2014.v10n22p%25p
Glover, T. A., Nugent, G. C., Chumney, F. L., Ihlo, T., Shapiro, E. S., Guard, K., Koziol, N., & Bovaird, J. (2016). Investigating rural teachers’ professional development, instructional knowledge, and classroom practice. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 31(3), 1–16. http://jrre.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/31-3.pdf
Graham, D. (2015). Collegial administrative support: Reflections from a principal at an at-risk public high school. Principal’s Research Review, 10(3), 1–3. http://www.nassp.org/knowledge-center/publications/principals-research-review
Gray, C., Wilcox, G., & Nordstokke, D. (2017). Teacher mental health, school climate, inclusive education, and student learning: A review. Canadian Psychology, 58(3), 203–210. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000117
Gulosino, C. A., Jones, L., & Franceschini, L. (2016). Using the competing values framework (CVF) to examine teacher satisfaction in Tennessee schools. Planning and Changing, 47(3), 141–168.
Hos, R., Murray-Johnson, K., & Correia, A. (2019). Cultivating capital for high school newcomers: A case study of an urban newcomer classroom. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 6(1), 101-116.
Huang, S., Hongbiao, Y., & Lv, L. (2019). Job characteristics and teacher well-being: The mediation of teacher self-monitoring and teacher self-efficacy. An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1543855
Im, M. H., Hughes, J. N., & West, S. G. (2016). Effect of trajectories of friends’ and parents’ school involvement on adolescents’ engagement and achievement. Journal of Research of Adolescents, 26(4), 963–978. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12247
Johari, J., Yean Tan, F., & Tjik Zulkarnain, Z. I. (2018). Autonomy, workload, work-life balance, and job performance among teachers. International Journal of Educational Management, 32(1), 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-10-2016-0226
King, M. C. (2017). A meta-analysis of factors contributing to the job satisfaction-performance relationship. [Master’s thesis, San Francisco State University]. Leonard Library ScholarWorks. http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/196468
Kronholz, J. (2013). No substitute for a teacher: Adults’ absences shortchange students. Education Next, 13(2). 16-21 https://www.educationnext.org/no-substitute-for-a-teacher/
Lindqvist, P., & Nordanger, U. K. (2016). Already elsewhere- a study of skilled teachers’ choice to leave teaching. Teacher and Teacher Education, 5, 88–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.11.010
Lindroth, J. T. (2014). Reflective journals: A review of the literature. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 34(1), 66–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/8755123314548046
Liu, H., & Cheung, F. M. (2015). The role of work-family role integration in a job demands-resources model among Chinese secondary school teachers. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 18(4), 288-298. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12103
Liu, Y., Aungsuroch, Y., & Yunibhand, J. (2016). Job satisfaction in nursing: A concept analysis study. International Nursing Review, 63(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12215
Lowe, G. Gray, C., Prout, P. Jefferson, S. & Shaw, T. (2019). Still keen and committed: Piloting an instrument foridentifying positive veteran teacher. Teachers and Teaching, 25(4), 418-433. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2019.1621829
Mee, M., & Haverback, H. R. (2014). Commitment, preparation, and early career frustrations: Examining future attrition of middle school teachers. American Secondary Education, 42(3), 39–51. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43694933
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage.
Nand, L. (2017). Applying ecological systems theory to understand the determinants of early school leaving and second-chance education in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area in Sydney, Australia. [Doctoral dissertation, Western Sydney University]. http://researchdirect.uws.edu.au/islandora/object/uws%3A44416/datastream/PDF/view
National Education Association (NEA). (2017). Rural schools. http://www.nea.org/home/16358.htm
Oberle, E. & Schonert-Reichl, K. A. (2016). Stress contagion in the classroom? The link between classroom teacher burnout and morning cortisol in elementary school students. Social Science & Medicine, 159, 30–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.031
Ogurlu, U., & Sevim, M. N. (2017). The opinions of gifted students about leadership training. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 4(2), 41-52.
Okeke, C. I., & Mtyuda, P. N. (2017). Teacher job dissatisfaction: Implications for teacher sustainability and social transformation. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 19(1), 54–68. https://doi.org/10.1515/jtes-2017-0004
Parsley, D. & Barton, R. (2015). The myth of the little red schoolhouse: Challenges and opportunities for rural school improvement. Peabody Journal of Education, 90(2), 191-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956x.2015.1022108
Pogodzinski, B. (2014). Collegial support and novice teachers’ perceptions of working conditions. Journal of Educational Change, 15(4), 467–489. doi:10.1007/s10833-013-9221-x
Prout, P. F., Lowe, G. M., Gray, C. C, & Jefferson, S. (2019). An elixir for veteran teachers: The power of social connections in keeping these teachers passionate and enthusiastic in their work. The Qualitative Report, 24(9), 2244-2258. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol24/iss9/10
Przybylska, I. (2016). Emotional intelligence and burnout in teaching profession. The New Educational Review, 43(1), 41-52. https://doi.org/10.15804/tner.2016.43.1.03
Rankin, J. (2017). First aid for teacher burnout. Routledge.
Rosa, E. M. & Tudge, J. (2013). Urie Bronfenbrenner’s theory of human development: Its evolution from ecology to bioecology. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 5(4). https://doi.org/10/1111/jftr.12022
Sahito, Z., & Vaisanen, P. (2017). Factors affecting job satisfaction of teacher educators: Empirical evidence from the universities of Sindh Providence of Pakistan. Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 6(1), 5–30. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0905.04
Sapkova, A. (2014). System of mathematics teachers’ beliefs about effective teaching/learning and practice as a complex adaptive system. Journal of Studies in Education, 4(3), 15–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jse.v4i3.5119
Sezgin, F., Kosar, S., Kiline, A. C., & Ogdem, Z. (2014). Teacher absenteeism in Turkish primary schools: A qualitative perspective from school principals. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 6(3), 612-625. https://doi.org/10.15345/iojes.2014.03.010
Shapira-Lishchinsky, O., & Raftar-Ozery, T. (2016). Leadership, absenteeism acceptance, and ethical climate as predictors of teachers’ absence and citizenship behaviors. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46(3). 491-510. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216665841
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2010). Teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout: A study of relations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(4), 1059-1069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.11.001
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2015). Job satisfaction, stress, and coping strategies in the teaching profession: What do teachers say? International Education Studies, 8(3), 181–192. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v8n3p181
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2018). Job demands and job resources as predictors of teacher motivation and well-being. Social Psychology of Education, 21(5), 1251–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-018-9464-8
Smith, P. S., Hayes, M. L., & Lyons, K. M. (2017). The ecology of instructional teacher leadership. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 46, 267–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2016.12.005
Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, courses, and consequences. Sage.
Spector, P. E. (1999). Instructions for scoring the job satisfaction survey, JSS. University of South Florida. http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~pspector/scales/jssscore.html
Sroufe, L. A. (2013). The promise of developmental psychopathology: Past and present. Development and Psychopathology, 25(4), 1215-1224. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000576
Tang, Y., He, W., Liu, L., & Li, Q. (2018). Beyond the paycheck: Chinese rural teacher well-being and the impact of professional learning and local community engagement. Teachers and Teaching, 24(7), 825–839. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2018.1470972
Tennessee Education Association (TEA). (2019). Salary data. https://teateachers.org/salary-data
Thibodeaux, A. K., Labat, M. B., Lee, D. E., & Labat, C. A. (2015). The effects of leadership and high-stakes testing on teacher retention. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 19(1), 227–236.
Todd-Gibson, C. (2017). An examination of how middle school science teachers conduct collaborative inquiry and reflection about students’ conceptual understanding. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (Online), 10(2), 169–178. https://doi.org/10.19030/cier.v10i2.9933
Troesch, L. M. & Bauer, C. E. (2017). Second career teachers: Job satisfaction, job stress, and the role of self-efficacy. Teaching & Teacher Education, 67, 389-398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.07.006
Waterman, S. S. (2013). Differentiating assessment in middle and high school mathematics and science. Routledge.
Wieczorek, D., & Manard, C. (2018). Instructional leadership challenges and practices of novice principals in rural schools. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 34(2), 1–21. http://jrre.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/34-2.pdf
Woodyatt, C. R., Finneran, C. A., & Stephenson, R. (2016). In-person versus online focus group discussions: A comparative analysis of data quality. Qualitative Health Research, 26(6), 741–749. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316631510
Yu, X., Wang, P., Zhai, X., Dai, H., & Yang, Q. (2015). The effect of work stress on job burnout among teachers: The mediating role of self-efficacy. Social Indicators Research, 122(3), 701–708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0716-5
Zuckerman, S. J., Campbell Wilcox, K., Schiller, K. S., & Durand, F. T. (2018). Absorptive capacity in rural schools: Bending not breaking during disruptive innovation implementation. In E. McHenry-Sorber & D. Hall (Eds.), The diversity of rural educational leadership [Special issue]. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 34(3), 1–27. http://jrre.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/34-3.pdf

Citation

Hawes, S., & Nelson, T. (2021). Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 5(1), 44-66. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10792

Hawes, S., and Nelson, T. (2021). Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 5(1), pp. 44-66. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10792

Hawes S, Nelson T. Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2021;5(1), 44-66. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10792

Hawes, Shayla, and Timothy Nelson. "Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2021 5 no. 1 (2021): 44-66. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10792

Hawes, Shayla et al. "Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 5, no. 1, 2021, pp. 44-66. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10792

Hawes S, Nelson T. Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2021;5(1):44-66. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10792