Volume 3 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal for K-12 Educational Research - Page 66

64 Many factors have led to these shortages and poor retention. Graduation requirements have been amended by the Texas state legislature, which calls for more science courses to be offered in high school (Texas Education Agency, 2017b). This increase has led to a higher demand and the number of science teachers needed (Ingersoll & Perda, 2010). Many factors influenced science teacher retention. Studies found that science teachers exit the profession due to poor job satisfaction or to pursue other jobs (Ingersoll & Perda, 2010; McConnell, 2013). Other studies found science teachers were willing to stay in teaching for a higher salary or a bonus (Ingersoll & May, 2012). When Darling-Hammond (2013) compared teaching to professions with similar educational backgrounds such as accounting, nursing, and technology fields, teaching was considered a low salary profession among the other professions. In fact, within the first five years, over 30% of new teachers left teaching due to the poor salary (Darling-Hammond, 2013). Teacher Job Satisfaction In 2005, Giacometti developed the Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Teacher Retention (FAJSTR) questionnaire to explore job satisfaction factors that could lead to beginning teacher retention or attrition. The surveys were sent out across the United States in 2003 to 450 novice teachers. The national study garnered data from first to third year teachers. Giacometti found 11% of the participants chose to leave teaching. Using discriminant analysis, Giacometti (2005) found the best job satisfaction factors that impacted teacher retention in the profession were emotional factors followed by compensation and benefits. In her study, Giacometti identified a total of seven factors influencing teacher job satisfaction: compensation, preservice preparation, external forces, school culture, professional development, motivation to teach, and emotional factors. Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction The seven factors of job satisfaction Giacometti (2005) noted have been researched extensively. In many recent studies, salary was the strongest job satisfaction factor for keeping science teachers who were thinking about leaving the classroom (Armer, 2011; Ingersoll & May, 2012; Lastica, 2012). Many math and science teachers left the profession when they compared their training and knowledge to other private sector opportunities. Several teachers felt they were not paid enough when factoring all the hours worked inside and outside of contract time (Ingersoll & May, 2012). Some researchers found a lack of parental support and poor social conditions within a community could statistically predict a percentage of teacher turnover on campuses (Allensworth, Ponisciak, & Mazzeo, 2009). In research, a common factor which leads to teacher turnover has been the lack of support from campus leadership (Gonzalez et al., 2008). Similarly, this support can be the personal support or the work conditions a campus leaders fails to put in place. Simon and Johnson (2013) found working conditions were the best predictor of teacher satisfaction. Campus leaders who took care of classroom sizes, provided necessary supplies, allowed time to prepare for classes, and had realistic expectations for improving instruction were more likely to hold onto their teachers (Simon & Johnson, 2013). Many researchers have found that intrinsic rewards were a better predictor of job satisfaction in teachers (Beebe, 2013; Casey, 2016; Collie, Shapka, & Perry, 2012; O’Donnell, 2014). O’Donnell (2014) discovered teachers attaining intrinsic rewards were more likely to stay. Teacher stress and burnout have been linked to decreasing job satisfaction and to teachers leaving the profession (Adams, 2003; Ages, 2011; Fisher, 2009, Giacometti, 2005). The Study The current study was launched across several North Texas districts during the months of October and November 2017. The current study was conducted over seven districts across 117 secondary campuses, which included 69 middle schools and 48 high schools. The digital survey for the current study was sent to approximately 804 secondary science teachers across the seven North Texas districts and the study garnered 241 complete survey responses. The study used and adapted the Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Teacher Retention (FAJSR) questionnaire (Giacometti, 2005). The purpose of the study was to examine job satisfaction factors which lead to the retention of secondary science teachers in North Texas school districts. The study used a mixed-method design to find differences in secondary science teachers’ job satisfaction perceptions. The researcher collected job satisfaction data via a survey and tested for differences across demographic subgroups. The study also collected open responses from Christopher Michael Miller, Ed.D.