Satisfaction of Pre-service and In-service Teachers with Primary School Organization

Abstract

This article investigates and compares the satisfaction levels of pre-service and in-service primary school teachers with respect to school organization and administration. Primary data were collected through questionnaires completed by 315 pre-service teachers and 439 in-service teachers in Greece. The following six factors of school organization were identified: school climate, principal’s role, school organization, teacher incentives, role of superiors, and teachers’ role. According to the findings, the satisfaction ratings of pre-service and in-service teachers were significantly different on all of the above factors. Specifically, the satisfaction ratings of pre-service teachers were significantly lower than those of in-service teachers on all factors, except for the teacher incentives factor, where they were significantly higher. The article examines the implications of the findings for the job satisfaction of pre-service and in-service teachers and offers suggestions on measures that can be used to enhance the work motivation of teaching staff

Job realities of primary school principals in Greece: similarities and variations in a highly centralized system

“…The only cases where principals received ratings lower than 4.00 (in a five-point scale where 5 indicated high level of satisfaction) were those A school principal's duties are to: Collaborate with the state authorities, the school advisors, the teachers, the students and their parents to achieve the goals of the education system Represent the school unit in all its relations with third parties Allocate students to classes without social or other restrictions (e.g. streaming is prohibited) Implement the laws and all the regulations of all the supervising authorities as well as the decisions of the teachers' assembly Promote educational innovations and be responsible for their implementation Evaluate the teaching and administrative staff (non-applicable in reality since a system of evaluation is missing) Cultivate a positive school climate Inform the newly appointed teachers about their legal rights and obligations and coach them during their first steps Allocate duties and responsibilities to the assistant principals of the school Keep record of all official correspondence of the school and issue and sign all the official documentation of the school Keep files of students and teachers Provide instructions and guidelines to the teaching staff Resolve problems with the teaching staff in a collegial spirit of mutual respect and report these problems to higher levels only if his/her efforts to resolve them are proved unsuccessful Communicate with the supervising authorities asking for help to overcome staff shortages or for reporting other serious problems Furthermore, a primary school principal in cooperation with and with the approval of the teachers assembly: Calls the teachers' assembly meetings Assigns specific administrative and extra-curricular duties to individual members of the teaching staff Proposes the time schedule of the lessons and makes all possible arrangements so that all teachers cover their workload Makes the necessary provisions about the maintenance of school facilities and the supply of essential instructional materials Ensures the orderliness of the school environment and the conditions of students' safety Cultivates a democratic climate and prevents or tackles disciplinary problems Proposes the replacement of absent teachers Distributes the state-approved textbooks to all students Cooperates with the school advisors for organizing school-based teachers' in service training programmes, and school visits to sites of educational interest which referred to their leadership ability (3.90) and their ability to evaluate teachers (3.83) (Menon & Saitis, 2006). Similar observations have also been found in terms of the role of school, in the Cypriot education system, also highly centralized and bureaucratic (Pashiardis & Savvides, 2011).…”

Leadership and Conflict Management Style Are Associated with the Effectiveness of School Conflict Management in the Region of Epirus, NW Greece

“…The significant role of school leaders in Greece is confirmed by the reported effects of leadership style on school climate, students' achievements, and teachers' job satisfaction [8,12,17,18]. The Greek educational system is characterized by a highly hierarchical structure with limited opportunities for creativeness and initiatives for school Principals.…”

“…This range of tasks, complexity and multidimensional role can be described as the art of leading [5,6]. The art of leadership is crucial for a school to be effective under its particular internal and external school variables, including parents' and society' expectations, teachers' workload and school climate including the culture of change and innovation [6][7][8].…”

“…Leadership can be described according to several theories and different leadership styles that can be grouped accordingly, including: trait theories, behavioral theories, situational theories, contingency theories, transactional leadership, transformational leadership, empowerment leadership, authentic leadership, strategic leadership, symbolic leadership, servant leadership and innovative leadership. School Principals may exhibit a range of leadership styles according to the national educational systems' policies, their personality traits, values, experiences and skills, as well as the particular issues and environmental parameters of their school unit [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. In fact, effective leaders can adapt their leadership style depending on the context and situation of their school unit [8,12,13,[15][16][17][18].…”

“…It decides on almost all the issues concerning the allocation of funds, school operation, and human resources management policies such as teachers' appointments and transfers. As a result of this top-down hierarchical structure, school leaders in Greece perform in a bureaucratic system with limited power and funds at the school level [4,8,10]. Nevertheless, even in a centralized educational system, school Principals have a decisive role in school management with significant effects on teachers and pupils.…”