An Analysis of Teacher Satisfaction in the Seventh-day Adventist Church Schools in Zimbabwe

196 Pages·2016·1.54 MB·English

by  Silas Masuku

AAnnddrreewwss UUnniivveerrssiittyy
DDiiggiittaall CCoommmmoonnss @@ AAnnddrreewwss UUnniivveerrssiittyy
Dissertations Graduate Research
2010
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CChhuurrcchh SScchhoooollss iinn ZZiimmbbaabbwwee
Silas Masuku
Andrews University
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ABSTRACT

AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHER SATISFACTION IN THE SEVENTH-DAY

ADVENTIST CHURCH SCHOOLS IN ZIMBABWE

by

Silas Masuku

Chair: Hinsdale Bernard
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH

Dissertation

Andrews University

School of Education

Title: AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHER SATISFACTION IN THE SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST CHURCH SCHOOLS IN ZIMBABWE

Name of researcher: Silas Masuku

Name and degree of faculty chair: Hinsdale Bernard, Ph.D.

Date completed: December 2009

Problem

Various studies have been conducted internationally on teacher satisfaction in
private and public schools. Similar studies have also been done in Seventh-day Adventist
church schools around the world. The importance of teacher satisfaction is crucial for the
stability of education institutions in shaping students for success in their communities.
The purpose of this study was to analyze perceptions of the level of satisfaction on factors
deemed important to teachers in Seventh-day Adventist church schools in Zimbabwe.
This research study also considered the pattern of teacher turnover in the schools.
Methodology
A stratified random sample of 442 teachers from 32 schools was selected from
1,318 teachers in the 96 schools. A survey, Adventist Teacher Satisfaction
Questionnaire, adapted from previous instruments was utilized to solicit teachers’ level of
satisfaction with organizational and personal factors that they deemed important.
Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to analyze data from teachers’
responses.
The Adventist Teacher Turnover Questionnaire was used to collect data on
teacher turnover from school heads. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the pattern
of turnover during the 5-year period 1997-2001.

Research Findings
Teachers in the Seventh-day Adventist church schools in Zimbabwe were
dissatisfied with most (34 of 52) of the organizational factors that they considered
important. However, they were satisfied with most (22 of 24) of the personal factors that
they considered important.
In terms of demographics, there were no differences in the level of satisfaction
with organizational factors between most of the demographic groups of teachers.
However, teachers in rural schools were significantly more dissatisfied with
organizational factors than those in urban schools. There were no differences in the
level of satisfaction with personal factors between most of the demographic groups of
teachers. But, teachers in urban schools were significantly more satisfied with personal
factors than those in rural schools.
Regarding teacher turnover, the average rate was low and steady during the years
1997-2001. However, there was an increase in teacher turnover in 2001.

Conclusion

This study will help the church schools’ administration in Zimbabwe to focus on
organizational factors where there was general dissatisfaction among teachers.
Dissatisfaction was expressed more by rural than by urban school teachers. Initial
attention therefore would best be directed at improving conditions in rural schools. The
low average teacher turnover in the years considered would be no reason to be
complacent, particularly noting that there was an increase in 2001 in view of the general
dissatisfaction among teachers.
Andrews University
School of Education

AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHER SATISFACTION IN THE SEVENTH-DAY

ADVENTIST CHURCH SCHOOLS IN ZIMBABWE

A Dissertation

Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

by

Silas Masuku

December 2009
©Copyright by Silas Masuku 2009
All Rights Reserved
AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHER SATISFACTION IN THE SEVENTH-DAY

ADVENTIST CHURCH SCHOOLS IN ZIMBABWE

A dissertation
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Philosophy

by

Silas Masuku

APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:

__________________________________ _________________________________
Chair: Hinsdale Bernard Dean, School of Education
James Jeffery

__________________________________
Member: Jerome Thayer

__________________________________
Member: James Jeffery

__________________________________ _________________________________
External: Peggie Ncube Date approve
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Background to the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Purpose of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Conceptual Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Delimitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Organization of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

II. LITERATURE REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Historical Beginnings on Job Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Job Satisfaction in Business and Other Sectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Job Satisfaction Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Organizational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Job Satisfaction in the Teaching Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Importance of the Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Factors Influencing Satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Principals/Headmasters’ Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Job Satisfaction in Seventh-day Adventist Organizations . . . . . . . . 48
Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Educational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Turnover in Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Influencing Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
iii