Teacher Motivation and Job Satisfaction Survey

Abstract

The Teacher Motivation and Job Satisfaction Survey (TMJSS) is a psychological instrument developed to comprehensively assess the levels of job satisfaction and perception of motivational factors among educators, primarily focusing on public school teachers. This survey is crucial for understanding the dynamics that influence teacher morale, engagement, and potential retention, particularly by distinguishing between various intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. The scale incorporates items designed to measure overall professional contentment and the degree to which specific elements of the work environment act as either motivating forces or sources of dissatisfaction.

Keywords

Teacher Motivation, Job Satisfaction, Educational Psychology, Teacher Retention, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Public School Teachers, Personnel Evaluation.

Authors

C. A. Mertler

Purpose

The primary purpose of the TMJSS is twofold: first, to quantify the overall level of job satisfaction experienced by teachers; and second, to systematically evaluate the degree to which various environmental and professional elements serve as either motivating or unmotivating factors. By utilizing a comprehensive list of specific factors—ranging from salary and job security to sense of achievement and interpersonal relationships—the instrument provides detailed data for educational administrators and researchers.

This scale allows for critical analysis of how external organizational factors (e.g., district policies, supervision) and internal psychological factors (e.g., sense of achievement, responsibility) influence professional commitment and engagement in the teaching profession. Furthermore, the survey collects demographic data necessary for comparative studies across different school levels, settings, and teacher experience levels.

Construct

The TMJSS measures the interrelated psychological constructs of overall Job Satisfaction and Teacher Motivation. The structure of the scale items, particularly those in Question 5, aligns conceptually with theoretical frameworks like Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, distinguishing between factors that actively motivate (e.g., achievement, recognition) and those that, if absent, lead to dissatisfaction (e.g., salary, working conditions).

The instrument provides granular data on 18 specific motivational/dissatisfaction factors (Q5) and 10 specific incentive scenarios (Q6), alongside four direct questions regarding overall satisfaction and professional choice, offering a robust assessment of the teacher’s professional environment and psychological state.

Validity

Specific statistical details regarding the scale’s validity (such as construct validity or criterion validity coefficients) are not explicitly documented in the provided source materials. However, the comprehensive nature of the items and the inclusion of factors derived from established theories of organizational psychology suggest strong face validity for measuring the critical elements influencing teacher morale.

The instrument’s consistent use in academic papers and theses (Mertler, 1992, 2001, 2002) implies its recognized utility and contextual relevance within educational research settings focused on personnel evaluation.

Reliability

Empirical data concerning the scale’s reliability, such as measures of internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s Alpha) or test-retest reliability, are not detailed within the available source content. Researchers utilizing the TMJSS should consult the full academic publications or the original thesis to ascertain the psychometric rigor applied during its development and initial validation phases.

Factor Analysis

A detailed description of the factor analysis used to define the subscales of the TMJSS is not present in the source materials. Given the large number of items related to specific motivational factors (Question 5), it is highly probable that the author, C. A. Mertler, employed exploratory factor analysis to distill these 18 items into fewer, more manageable underlying dimensions, consistent with established motivation theories in the workplace, such as intrinsic versus extrinsic factors.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Attitude survey

Format: Mixed format, including 4-point categorical scales (Q1), dichotomous (Yes/No) questions (Q2, Q3), 6-point Likert-type scales (Q5, Q6), and standard demographic multiple-choice questions (Q7-Q12). The 6-point scale ranges from ‘Highly unmotivating’ (1) to ‘Highly motivating’ (6).

Language Available: English

Population Group: Professional Educators (Teachers)

Age Group: Adults (21 years and older)

Population Details: Public school teachers across various levels (Elementary, Middle/Junior, High School) and settings (Urban, Suburban, Rural), with varying years of experience (1-36+ years).

Test Methodology: This is a structured survey methodology requiring participants to rate their satisfaction and the perceived motivational strength of various job factors. The instrument includes 12 main questions, with Q5 containing 18 sub-items and Q6 containing 10 sub-items, totaling 32 scored items plus demographic data.

Keywords

Educational Administration, Personnel Management, Teacher Morale, School Environment, Herzberg Theory, Professional Development.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in the source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided in the source material. C. A. Mertler was affiliated with Ohio State University during the initial development phase (1992).

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in the source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: The initial version of the instrument was documented in 1992 (Mertler’s Master’s thesis). Subsequent revisions and publications occurred in 2001 and 2002.

Permissions & Fee: The instrument is widely available for non-commercial academic and research use through the ERIC database. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED461649.pdf. Users should contact the author for formal permissions regarding large-scale or commercial application.

Reference’s

• Mertler, C. A. (1992.) Teacher motivation and job satisfaction of public school teachers. Unpublished master’s thesis, Ohio State University.
• Mertler, C. A. (2001) Teacher Motivation and Job Satisfaction in the New Millennium. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mid-Western Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED461649.pdf
• Mertler, C. A. (2002). Job Satisfaction and Perception of Motivation among Middle and High School Teachers. American Secondary Education, 31(1); 43-53.

Items of the Teacher Motivation and Job Satisfaction Survey

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. What is your overall level of satisfaction with your job as a teacher?
   • Very Dissatisfied, Somewhat Dissatisfied, Somewhat Satisfied, Very Satisfies
2. If you had the opportunity to start over in a new career, would you choose to become a teacher?
   • YES NO
3. Generally speaking, do you believe that the teachers with whom you work are motivated?
   • YES NO
4. How many teachers that you know or work with would you classify as unmotivated?
   • 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, More than 10
5. On the following 6-point scale, indicate the degree to which each of the following serve as a motivating factor or an unmotivating factor for teachers.
   • Highly unmotivating=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6= Highly motivating
   1. recognition (e.g., receiving praise from administrators, parents, students, or others)
   2. potential for professional growth (e.g., possibility of improving one’s own professional skills)
   3. supervision by superiors (e.g., overall competence of superiors)
   4. interpersonal relationships with colleagues (e.g., interaction with other teachers)
   5. salary (e.g., financial compensation)
   6. job security (e.g., tenure)
   7. status (e.g., professional status of teaching)
   8. interpersonal relationships with administrators (e.g., interaction with administrators)
   9. sense of achievement (e.g., experiencing success)
   10. working conditions (e.g., building conditions, amount of work, facilities available)
   11. district policies (e.g., overall effects of the district as an organization)
   12. teacher evaluation (e.g., appraisal of classroom instruction by evaluator)
   13. responsibility (e.g., autonomy, authority and responsibility for own work)
   14. potential for advancement (e.g., possibility of assuming different positions in the profession)
   15. work itself (e.g., aspects associated with the tasks of teaching)
   16. factors in personal life (e.g., effects of teaching on one’s personal life)
   17. interpersonal relationships with students (e.g., interaction with students)
   18. sense of accountability (e.g., being held directly responsible for student learning)
6. On the following 6-point scale, indicate the degree to which each of the following items serve as a motivating factor or an unmotivating factor for teachers.
   1. a one-time monetary award (supplemental to the step increase)
   2. being selected as ‘Teacher of the Year” in the district
   3. an instructional workshop offered by the district for a fee
   4. having students thank a teacher for aiding in the understanding of a difficult concept
   5. an instructional workshop offered and paid for by the district
   6. being given the opportunity to participate in teacher projects (e.g., research, curriculum development)
   7. early retirement/contract buy-out
   8. observing vast improvement in the achievement levels of one’s students since the beginning of the year
   9. being awarded a plaque by students
   10. being permitted to purchase additional equipment and supplies for the classroom
7. What is your gender?
   • Female, Male
8. What is your ethnicity?
   • African American, Asian American, Caucasian, Hispanic American, Other
9. What is your age?
   • 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40, 41-45, 46-50, 51-55, 56 years or older
10. Including the current school year, how many years of teaching experience do you have?
    • 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36 year or more
11. Which best describes your current school setting?
    • Urban, suburban, rural
12. Which best describes your current school level?
    • Elementary school, Middle/junior school, High school