Teachers’ job satisfaction: religious and secular schools in Israel

ABSTRACT

Teacher attrition and shortages have become a challenge worldwide. These phenomena diminish when teachers feel satisfied with their job. This study aimed to examine the relationship between teachers’ intrinsic motivations and job satisfaction in religious and secular schools. A questionnaire was administered to 759 teachers in the Israeli Jewish sector. The results show that teachers in each sector highlighted different motivational factors as a basis for fostering job-satisfaction. Providing students with social-emotional support was associated with greater satisfaction among teachers in the religious schools, while transmitting general and civic values was linked to satisfaction in the secular schools. Encouraging students to pursue high grades negatively affected job satisfaction only in the secular sector. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachers’ job satisfaction
• self-efficacy
• intrinsic motivation
• fulfilment aspirations

Acknowledgment

The study was supported by the Mofet Institute, Tel Aviv.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rinat Arviv Elyashiv

Rinat Arviv Elyashiv serves as the Director of the Research Authority and Assessment at the Kibbutzim College of Education. Her studies focus on educational policy, teacher career, teacher professional development, educational assessment and social inequality. She participates in international partnerships to promote teachers’ professional identity and development.

Gavriel Hanuka

Gavriel Hanuka, Michlalah Jerusalem College and Orot Israel College, Israel. An experienced teacher educator, he teaches Bible education, as well as management and leadership at educational organisations.