Chapter 5: Discussion
5.4 Conclusion
It is therefore a conclusion of this study that whilst there are many problems and challenges within the teaching profession, particularly in South Africa, many teachers feel content with their jobs and are not contemplating leaving as yet.
The study can also conclude that female teachers are generally more satisfied.
However while there is a relationship between gender and satisfaction, this does not imply a causal relationship. It could be that there are more female teachers than male teachers.
Furthermore, the study can also conclude that no particular race seems to be more satisfied with their jobs because there was a slight variation between the races, and whilst Indians seemed to score higher on certain values, it is not a causal relationship, being Indian does not necessarily mean one will be more satisfied as a teacher than any other race. Bearing in mind the sample size, it is not known with certainty whether the conclusion can be generalized to a wider population.
Another conclusion is that maths teachers are more satisfied than science teachers.
Again, other factors might be used to explain the relationship between the subjects taught and satisfaction. For example, Maths teachers generally do not need any specialized equipment to teach the subject while science teachers, on the other hand, need laboratories, special chemicals and other scientific apparatus. If this equipment is not available for the teachers to use, then that may have a negative impact on their morale and satisfaction.
The study was unable to find a concrete basis to conclude that teachers from one type of school were more satisfied than teachers from another type of school.
Another conclusion is that teachers with fewer years in the profession tend to be more satisfied than others. This could be due to the fact that, as new teachers, they still have much enthusiasm and stamina to offer to the young minds and that they might not have felt the pressure, or that they have not been in the field long enough to see conditions deteriorate.
It was also discovered that on average, the younger teachers, those within the 20-30 years age group score higher than the rest of the teachers on overall satisfaction.
In comparison to the race, it seems as if Indian teachers, on average, score higher on all four factors (independence, recognition, self-expression, economic and social security) however a variation occurs between the Black and White teachers. White teachers seem to score higher on Independence, recognition and on economic and social security, but Black teachers have scored higher on self-expression.
Teachers who have been teaching for less than five years are more independent and value their self-expression more than those with many years in the profession.
However, teachers who have been in the profession for more than five years but less than ten value their recognition more than others. Based on the mean score, it seems that value on self-expression and social and economic security decreases with length in the profession.
In terms of the teachers' age group, older teachers (41-50 years) score higher, on average, on independence, on self- expression and also on economic and social security, while teachers who are 31-40 years of age score higher on recognition. The multiracial/ urban school reported a high mean on Independence and on recognition.
The township type school, on average, has a high mean on self-expression. There is no variation on the economic and social security. So the conclusion is that teachers from all types of school need social security and perceive it to be an important aspect of the overall job satisfaction.
Although the main aim of the study was not primarily to provide answers pertaining the relationship between job satisfaction and the values held by teachers, it was found
that many problems that arise within the teaching profession have a lot to do with the following, in no particular order:
• Student attitudes
• Lack of parental support
• Lack of support by the educational authority
• Job security and teachers' salaries
• Low status of the profession
• Interpersonal relations
• Appreciation/ Recognition
• Nature of work and workload
It is not a claim of this study that the above mentioned factors were identified as covering all issues influencing job satisfaction, however, dealing with those given above would dramatically improve the satisfaction of teachers and, as Steyn (1988) identified, many factors contributing to the job dissatisfaction of principals and teachers correspond with organizational practice factors.
Like many other employees, teachers desire decent salaries and benefits, suitable working conditions, recognition, and promotion opportunities. This study found that whilst many of the participants were satisfied with their profession, there is still scope for eliminating factors which might lead to dissatisfaction. The study can also
conclude that certain factors such as independence, recognition, self-expression, economic and social security are but some of the many items used to assess satisfaction in the job. The teaching profession used these, among others, to
categorize their perceptions of their jobs as a whole, based on how satisfied they are with the above-mentioned factors.