Multi-Level Analysis of Factors on Teacher Job Satisfaction Across Japan and South Korea: Evidence From TALIS 2018

Abstract

Teacher job satisfaction has been investigated as a critical influence on teacher turnout and the development of high-quality schools. Employing hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), the present study examined the effects of both teacher- and school-level factors on teacher job satisfaction in Japan and South Korea. Education in both countries is rooted in an East Asian cultural setting, and a comparison across the two countries will contribute to the discovery of underlying factors that affect teacher job satisfaction. The current study, based on the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey, showed that gender, teaching experience, social utility motivation to teach, self-efficacy, teacher-student relations, professional development, and team innovativeness exerted a crucial influence on teacher job satisfaction at teacher-level for Japan and South Korea. Furthermore, school sector, school delinquency and violence, and lack of special needs personnel were distinctive factors at school-level related to teacher job satisfaction for the two countries. The findings were discussed within the East Asian cultural context as well as comparatively, regarding East Asian versus Western cultures.

The relationship between teachers’ zest for work and teaching motivation: the mediating role of achievement goals

“…According to Skaalvik and Skaalvik (2011) , teachers’ zest for work affects their teaching motivation. Niu et al (2023) state that teachers’ professional pleasure and job satisfaction positively affect their motivation for teaching. Amin (2015) revealed in the research that there is a positive relationship between teachers ‘job satisfaction and teachers’ teaching motivation.…”

Teacher Victimization by Students, Their Parents, and School Staff: Prevalence and Links with Teachers’ Life Satisfaction in a Lithuanian Sample

“…Respect for teachers varies worldwide, with some countries like Japan holding teachers in high regard for their contribution to students' integrity and achievements, which might result in teachers' job satisfaction [1]. However, in many countries, including the United States [2], China [3], and South Korea [4], despite cultural respect for this profession, teachers have experienced incidents of teacher-directed violence [5] or teacher victimization [6,7], encompassing physical, social, verbal, and cyber violence, sexual harassment, and personal property offenses [8].…”