Organizational climate and teacher commitment

This study examined the relationship of school climate and teacher commitment in elementary schools in Alabama. A total of 67 elementary schools were surveyed and 1353 teachers voluntarily participated in the study. The instruments used in this study were the Organizational Climate Index (OCI) and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ). The four subtests of the OCI, collegial leadership, professional teacher behavior, achievement press, and institutional vulnerability, were examined for their collective and independent relationship to teacher commitment. The four variables serve as independent variables with commitment serving as the dependent variable. Commitment was measured using the 9-item version of the OCQ. The findings indicated a relationship between school climate and teacher commitment. The results concluded that the best predictor of teacher commitment is professional teacher behavior. Furthermore, collegial leadership was also found to be a predictor of teacher commitment. Achievement press, though not directly related to teacher commitment, was found to be a good predictor of both professional teacher behavior and collegial leadership. Institutional vulnerability was found to have no direct or indirect relationship to teacher commitment. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries