Career satisfaction of beginning teachers in Iowa

This study investigated the relationships between selected variables and teacher career satisfaction, and tested 14 research hypotheses formulated on the basis of literature review and a theoretical model of teacher career satisfaction. The sample consisted of 586 first-year teachers in Iowa in the 1985-86 school year. Findings partially supported the hypotheses and the theoretical model. Specifically, no significant relationships between personal characteristics (age and sex) and overall career satisfaction of beginning teachers were found. No significant difference in the overall career satisfaction at different academic preparation levels was found. Elementary teachers were significantly more satisfied with teaching than were either secondary teachers or those teaching at more than one level. Overall career satisfaction was significantly and positively related to the perceived adequacy of teacher preparation in specific program areas; to the importance of these areas to the first-year teaching position; to overall satisfaction with the student teaching experience and other clinical experiences; and to the amount of support received during the first-year of teaching. Beginning teachers who would choose teaching as a career again rated their overall career satisfaction significantly higher than did those who would not and those who were uncertain about choosing teaching again;When overall career satisfaction was predicted from a selected set of 30 predictor variables, the results of the stepwise regression analysis revealed that a combination of nine variables significantly contributed to the prediction of overall career satisfaction, accounting for about 44 percent of the variance for the combined data of male and female teachers. Job involvement and responsibility was the best predictor of overall career satisfaction, accounting for about 26 percent of the variance. The second best predictor of overall career satisfaction was job rewards. Results differed in male and female teachers;Finally, discriminant analysis was conducted in which 31 independent variables were used to differentiate two groups of beginning teachers--those who would choose teaching as a career again, and those who would not or who were uncertain about choosing teaching again. The two groups differed significantly most in overall career satisfaction, job rewards, job involvement and responsibility, support from both AEA (area education agency) consultants and principals, parental and community support, and overall satisfaction with student teaching experience. The two most important variables in differentiating the groups were overall career satisfaction and job rewards