A Study of Teacher Job Satisfaction in Kuwait.

The purpose of this study was to determine the following as they relate to public school teachers in the State of Kuwait: the perceived degree of satisfaction with and importance of nineteen selected personal and professional needs, the degree of influence of seven factors in teachers' decisions to pursue a career in education, and factors seen by teachers as improvement imperatives for the Kuwaiti educational system. The population of the study consisted of 1,132 teachers representing the primary, intermediate, and secondary levels of the educational system, with a response rate of 82 percent or 926 teachers. The data were obtained by use of a questionnaire consisting of nineteen questions in the major part, seven questions related to influential factors, and an open question pertinent to the improvement suggestions. Based on the study's findings the following conclusions were drawn: (1)Feelings of inadequacy and unfairly determined economic returns exist among teachers. (2)The school environment is not conducive to teachers' professional growth. (3)Insufficient opportunities exist for advancing one's education. (4)Society's perception of teaching is below teachers' expectations. (5)Little cooperation exists between home and school. (6)Insufficient research is conducted prior to implementation of change. In light of these conclusions the following recommendations were proposed: (1)To adopt a unified pay scale based on teachers' qualifications and competence regardless of nationality. (2)To re-examine the pay scale of each level of education. (3)To institute ongoing programs for upgrading teachers professionally, programs which are applicable to all teachers. (4)To initiate efforts to improve the image of teachers in the society by re-evaluating authorities' relationships with teachers and involving teachers in decision-making processes. (5)To initiate courses of action that will increase community involvement in educational matters. (6)To further university involvement in the educational system. (7)To re-examine the entry policy for new teachers.PhDEducational administrationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/158213/1/8116195.pd