Job Satisfaction and the Headteacher: a nominal group approach

Abstract

Based on the belief that the job satisfaction of the headteacher is a much neglected area of research, the article considers what little data exists, before introducing a technique ‐‐ the Nominal Group Technique ‐‐ which might be of use to potential researchers for gathering evidence. The results of the author's own research with secondary headteachers in the United Kingdom are then presented and discussed, and the plea is made for an appreciation of the need for headteacher development and the creation of a substantive theoretical base to strengthen our understanding of this aspect of education.