Quality of Professional Life for Teachers: Focus, Trust, and a Normative Culture

• In Event: Roundtable Session 104
  In Roundtable Session: How Leadership Contributes to the Quality of Professional Life for Teachers: Team, School, and District-Level Perspectives

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to describe the quality of professional life of teachers in an excelling Title I school in the Seneca School District (a pseudonym). By understanding the impact of working conditions and the quality of professional life for teachers, schools and administrators may have more information that could influence decisions in implementing effective strategies for retaining quality teachers.
Theoretical Framework
Teachers work in social settings. Each day teachers spend several hours with students, and often connect with other adults (other teachers and employees, parents, administrators) during the school day. Yet sometimes teachers are unable to interact with other teachers in a meaningful professional way. Socio historical theory (Vygotsky, 1978, 1986) and the different components of adult experience and learning (Rogoff, 2003) suggest that adult learning is a mediated activity.
Methods - Case Study
The research is a case study that included a variety of components for collection of data. These components included; 1) interviews with selected teachers, 2) interviews with the current principal and former principal, 3) a brief written survey for teachers and 4) other field observations which entailed examination of teacher and school environment by observing team meetings, faculty meetings and conducting focus groups, and review of school and District documents. The description of teacher interviews and observations followed Stake’s description of a qualitative story (2010).
Findings
Through the survey, interviews, observations and review of artifacts, the study established a definition of quality of professional life as "factors that influence a view of teaching as a valuable endeavor that has a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment" and the factors that contribute to quality of professional life. Teachers identified the greatest supports for quality of professional life (satisfiers) as principal leadership, environment and social factors. Teachers identified the greatest barriers (dissatisfiers) to quality of professional life as lack of teacher input and lack of teacher control over curriculum and instruction. These findings are consistent with Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory.
Significance
Trust within the context of quality of professional life for teachers should be a cornerstone of creating the dynamics that support student achievement in schools, especially schools with a variety of challenges that impact student achievement. One of the unintended consequences of the accountability movement is the distrust that has emerged for teachers. Many of the historical safety measures for teachers, union contracts, seniority and other provisions are under attack by policy makers at local, state and national levels. Yet, much of the historical distrust that occurs within schools and school districts can be traced to the labor union movement and the belief that unions serve to protect employees from dysfunctional employers. Trust is relationally based, whether founded upon personal and professional relationships, or reliant upon institutional and organizational relationships.
When teachers work in an environment that has high levels of trust, they are able to experience a quality of professional life that allows instructional focus and efficacy.

Author

• Jeffrey Thomas, Scottsdale Unified School District