Volume & Issue: 
Article Type : 
Abstract: 
 
Purpose
This study used statistical data (n=2147) from Questionnaire 2 “Jobs & Lives” of “The Primary Survey of Social
Changes in Taiwan” (Occasion One, Period Five, 2005) to compare the job satisfaction of various occupations,
in order to investigate the job satisfaction of elementary/secondary school teachers in Taiwan, and to probe into
the mechanism leading to the differences in job satisfaction among elementary/secondary school teachers and other
occupations.
 
Design/methodology/approach
This study performed regression/path analysis on job satisfaction, tested relevant hypotheses, and looked to find
those paths affecting the job satisfaction of elementary/secondary school teachers.
 
Findings
The job satisfaction of elementary/secondary school teachers in Taiwan was the highest. While their job satisfaction
was not significantly different from that of managers, their job satisfaction was significantly higher than that of all the
other occupations. The reason was that the seniority of elementary/secondary school teachers at current schools was
relatively higher. In addition, elementary/secondary school teachers perceived the highest meaning and value from work,
and their evaluation of job prospects was higher. In terms of interpersonal relationships at the workplace, they believed
that there was a fair chance for males/females to become department heads and a lower layoff rate. All of the above are
beneficial to the improvement of job satisfaction.
 
Originality/value
Previous studies on job satisfaction mainly enrolled single occupation workers (e.g. teachers, nursing personnel, and
grassroots police officers) as the subjects, with a lack of studies investigating the job satisfaction of various occupations.
This study divided occupations into ten categories (elementary/secondary school teachers, managers, general 
professionals, semi-professionals, affairs personnel, service and sales personnel, agriculture, forestry, fishery, and 
animal husbandry, workers, skilled, semi-skilled, and non-skilled workers) and used elementary/secondary school 
teachers, who make up a rather unique occupation in Taiwan, as the control group so as to compare them with other 
occupations and investigate their job satisfaction. This study found that the job satisfaction of elementary/secondary 
school teachers in Taiwan was the highest. However, it was not significantly different from that of managers. The reason 
might be that the sample size of elementary/secondary school teachers was not large enough (n = 67). In addition to 
using intervening variables that affect job satisfaction in the past, this study also included “layoff rate” and “a fair chance 
for males/females to become department heads” in the investigation. This study also verified that elementary/secondary
school teachers believed in a fair chance for either gender to act as department heads, as well as a lower layoff rate. 
This offered an explanation for the higher job satisfaction of elementary/secondary school teachers.

 

 

Author: 
APA: 
Lin, H.-M., & Hwang, Y.-J. (2016). A study of job satisfaction of elementary/secondary school teachers in Taiwan-Comparison with other occupations. Contemporary Educational Research Quarterly, 24(3), 29-64.
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