Abstract
This paper analyzes the policy implications of the relationships among early childhood teachers' ratings of job satisfaction, their opinions of proposed reforms for improving the teaching profession, and their likelihood of leaving their jobs. Survey data from 559 teachers (336 public school, 134 Day Care and 89 Head Start) showed that teacher job satisfaction was positively related to their pay and working conditions. Job satisfaction, in turn, was negatively related to likelihood of a job change. These results are discussed in the context of shaping policies to assure a stable early childhood workforce.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Center for Public Interest Polling. (1986, June).The New Jersey public school teacher: A view of the profession. New Brunswick, NJ: The Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University.
Chapman, D. & Hutcheson, S.M. (1982). Attrition from teaching careers: A discriminant analysis.American Educational Research Journal, 19(1), 93–105.
Chapman, D. & Lowther, M. (1982). Teachers' satisfaction with teaching.Journal of Educational Research, 2, 159–184.
Granger, R.C. & Marx, E. (1988, May).Who is teaching? Early childhood teachers in New York City's publicly funded programs. New York: Bank Street College.
Granger, R.C. & Marx, E. (1990). The policy implications of compensation and working conditions in three publicly funded early childhood systems.Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 5(2), 181–198.
Grinker, W.J. (1988). [Testimony provided to the New York City Council Committee on State Legislation.] (Available from Department of Human Resources, 240 Church Street, New York, NY.)
Jorde-Bloom, P. (1986, June). Teacher job satisfaction: A framework for analysis.Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 1(2), 167–183.
Jorde-Bloom, P. (1988). Factors influencing overall job satisfaction and organizational commitment in early childhood work environments.Journal of Research in Childhood Education, References3(2), 107–122.
Lester, P.E. (1985). Teacher job satisfaction K-12.Illinois School Research and Development, 22(1), 32–39.
Lortie, D. (1975).Schoolteacher: A sociological study Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Louis Harris & Associates. (1985).Former teachers in America. New York, NY: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
Louis Harris & Associates. (1986).The American teacher 1986: Restructuring the teaching profession. New York, NY: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
Modigliani, K. (1986). But who will take care of the children? Childcare, women, and devalued labor.Journal of Education, 168(3), 46–69.
Modigliani, K., Kell, W., Valenstein, T., McDaniels, M., Norton, C., Manchester, B. Webber, N., & Wheeler, J. (1986).Child care staff working conditions project: Summary of major findings. Anne Arbor, MI: Working Conditions Project, a task force of the Washtenaw County Association for the Education of Young Children.
National Committee on Pay Equity. (1987, February).Pay equity: An issue of race ethnicity and sex. Washington, DC: Author.
Phillips, D., & Howes, C. (1987). Indicators of quality child care: Review of research. In D.A. Phillips (Ed.),Quality in child care: What does research tell us? (pp. 1–19). Washington, DC: The National Association of the Education of Young Children.
Willer, B.A. (1987, June).The growing crisis in child care: Quality, compensation and affordability in early childhood programs. Washington, DC: The National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Smith Richardson Foundation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Granger, R.C., Marx, E. The policy implications of job satisfaction ratings for recruiting and retaining early childhood teachers. Child Youth Care Forum 21, 229–246 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00757192
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00757192