Creating a New Teacher Autonomy Measure and Its Effects on Teacher Job Satisfaction

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a new framework for describing teacher autonomy as a perception in relation to the educational context using the five dimensions of instruction, curriculum design, working relationships, professional development, and standardization which may lead to greater job satisfaction. Eight hundred fifty Pre-K to 12th grade teachers were sent a new instrument, the Five Dimensions of Teacher Autonomy Scale (FDTAS) with items concerning teacher autonomy as a perception and the Teacher Jos Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ; Lester, 1987) measuring teacher job satisfaction. Several types of demographic data was also collected. Both Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were conducted to determine the factor structure of the teacher autonomy measure. A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine if teacher autonomy as a perception predicts job satisfaction. The results indicated (a) that a three factor structure best fit the data, and (b) teacher autonomy as a perception was a significant predictor of teacher job satisfaction. Results provide implications and future research for teacher autonomy.