General and Special Educators' Perceptions of Autonomy: Differential Job Satisfaction

• In Event: Using a Quantitative Lens to Examine Teaching in Diverse Communities and Contexts

Abstract

Understanding how general and special educators perceive autonomy within their classrooms and schools has been linked to job satisfaction and increased student outcomes, especially for those who are historically minoritized. The current study investigates whether there is a moderation effect between perceived teacher autonomy and teacher type on job satisfaction. Results from multi-level modeling that controlled for teacher-, school-, and state-level factors found there was a statistically significant moderation effect which suggested that when special education teachers perceived they had less influence on school and classroom policy they experienced higher levels of job satisfaction compared to their general education counterparts.

Authors

• Amanda Olsen, The University of Texas - Arlington

• Erica N. Mason, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign