Date of Award

6-1989

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. David Cowden

Second Advisor

Dr. Uldis Smidchens

Third Advisor

Dr. David Myers

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of school size and the principal's leadership style on teacher job satisfaction. Also studied was the relationship between leadership style and school size. Three standard control variables-sex, age, and ethnicity-were investigated to see if the sample showed any significant differences in satisfaction levels. A random sample was taken from 525 Michigan public high schools and their principals. The objectives of this study were to provide schools or school districts with criteria that could be used to make changes that maximize the achievement of both organizational and individual goals and to provide principals with information about leadership styles that have a positive or negative impact on teacher job satisfaction.

Job satisfaction was defined using the nine scales in the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Teacher Satisfaction survey. Leadership style was defined by the two dimensional structure postulated by Fleishman (1969), Blake and Mouton (1964), Fiedler (1967), and Hersey and Blanchard (1982). The dimensions are concern for considerations and concern for structure.

NASSP's Teacher Satisfaction Survey was used to measure teacher satisfaction means while the Leadership Opinion Questionnaire (LOQ) was used to determine the leadership style of the principals. These instruments were mailed to 60 high schools and their principals with a response rate of 75% for high schools and a 67% rate from the principals. The data from these instruments was used to test the following hypotheses: (a) school size effects teacher satisfaction; (b) a relationship exists between leadership style and school size; (c) leadership style effects teacher job satisfaction; and (d) there are differences in job satisfaction for teachers between sexes, among different age groups and among different ethnic groups. The findings were: (1) Differences were found in satisfaction means among school sizes for one scale--parents and community. (2) No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that a relationship exists between leadership style and school size. (3) No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that leadership style effects teacher job satisfaction. (4) High schools, male and female teachers and the different teacher age groups appear to be representative of the national norm groups.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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