Date of Award
12-1988
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Special Education
First Advisor
Dr. Elizabeth Patterson
Second Advisor
Dr. Abe Nicolaou
Third Advisor
Dr. Larry Schlack
Abstract
This study examined the effect that leadership style and work setting would have on the job satisfaction of teachers of the trainable mentally impaired (TMI). Leadership style was based on the adaptability score from the LEAD Other instrument by Hersey and Blanchard (1982). Work setting was defined by one of three teaching situations, (1) integrated, with one or two teachers of the TMI working in a regular education building; (2) clustered, with three or more teachers of the TMI working in a regular education building; or (3) segregated, with teachers of the TMI working in a separate facility. Job satisfaction was measured by four factors taken from the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ) by Lester (1987).
Eight hypotheses were made based on the following assumptions, (a) leadership style of the building administrator would affect job satisfaction, (b) type of work setting would affect job satisfaction, and (c) the interaction between leadership style and work setting would affect job satisfaction.
Altogether, 133 subjects (78 segregated, 28 clustered, and 27 integrated) were selected from teachers of the trainable mentally impaired working in the state of Michigan. All subjects completed the LEAD Other, the 40-item TJSQ, and a demographics questionnaire.
Based on the adaptability score from the LEAD Other, administrators were assigned to one of three groups--high leadership, medium leadership, or low leadership. The results of a factorial analysis of variance comparing the variables of leadership style, work setting, and job satisfaction found significant differences between leadership style and job satisfaction with the more adaptable administrators resulting in higher job satisfaction. There was not, however, a significant difference indicated between work setting and job satisfaction, nor were there significant interaction effects between leadership style and work setting.
The implications of the present study relate to decisions regarding the integration of programs for the trainable mentally impaired and the resulting effects on the satisfaction of teachers. The results of the present study indicate that the type of leadership evidenced by the building administrator rather than type of setting would be an important factor to consider in the job satisfaction of teachers of the trainable mentally impaired.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Woods, John Charles, "The Effects of Leadership Style and Work Setting on the Job Satisfaction of Teachers of the Trainable Mentally Impaired" (1988). Dissertations. 2199.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/2199