For both public and private school teachers, student behavior and attitudes was the leading contributor to declining teacher morale in both public and private schools. For public school teachers, the # 2 problem was treatment by administrators. For private school teachers, the # 2 problem was insufficient financial compensation.
The research data is from Texas High Schools in 1999. I wonder what data would come from a similar survey in Australian schools?
The same research indicated private school teachers revealed no strong trend toward either worsening or improving teacher morale. However public school teachers indicate an overwhelming view that teacher morale is declining in their schools. Sixty-one percent of public school teachers thought morale at their school was worsening. Just 17% of public school teachers believed morale was improving at their school.
Teachers in the private high schools surveyed were almost twice as likely to give their school’s discipline an effective rating. Teachers in private schools tended to see their school discipline programs as improving. Teachers in public high schools, on balance, found school discipline worsening. Is this the same in Australia?
