Examining Teacher Job Satisfaction by Classroom Autonomy and School Control

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Accounting for Race in Teacher Preparation and Retention

Abstract

Since teacher turnover rates are especially high for those who identify as a racial minority, job satisfaction has become an important construct to analyze. Teacher autonomy within the school and within the classroom have been found to directly relate to job satisfaction. Using the restricted 2011-2012 Schools and Staffing Survey, teacher autonomy within the school and classroom were analyzed in relation to teacher job satisfaction and were found to significantly predict job satisfaction for all teachers. There were also two significant interactions between school autonomy and race and classroom autonomy and race. Due to the implications of these findings, it is important to continue exploring the relationships between school autonomy and classroom autonomy on job satisfaction.

Author

• Amanda Olsen, University of Missouri