The Roles of Life Satisfaction , Teaching Efficacy , and Self-esteem in Predicting Teachers ' Job Satisfaction

The current research aims to find out the extent to which high school teachers’ life satisfaction, teaching efficacy, and self-esteem predict their job satisfaction. Research participants included a total of 358 teachers (age=38.82; Ss=6.73; range, 22-58), 222 males (62%) and 136 females (38%), employed in 21 public high schools in the city center of Adıyaman in Turkey. 50 participant teachers (14%) were single and 308 (86%) were married. Education levels of the participant teachers were as follows: 318 (88.8%) with a BA degree, 36 (10.1%) with a MA degree, 3 (0.8%) with an associate degree and 1 (0.3%) with a PhD. Years in service were as follows: ( X service years=14.72; Ss=7; range, 1-35). The data was collected through the “Personal Information Form”, “Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale”, “Satisfaction with Life Scale”, “Teacher Efficacy Scale” and “Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale”. Descriptive analyses, Pearson product-moment correlation, and hierarchical linear multi regression analysis were used in the analyses of quantitative data in the current research. Data analysis was conducted through IBM SPSS 15.0 software. Three different regression models were obtained upon hierarchical multi regression analysis of scores on Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale. A review of R values showed that Satisfaction with Life Scale explained 31% of Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (F(1,356)=162.991**); this was increased by 34% upon analyzing Teacher Efficacy Scale (F(2,355)=95.105**) and by 35% upon analyzing Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (F(3,354)= 66.123**).


Introduction
Job satisfaction is defined as a personal evaluation based on positive or negative feedback associated with a job [64].According to another similar definition, it includes an individual's job and evaluation about his/her job [53].Within dissatisfaction about job, it was discovered to lead to job stress as a basis for negative attitudes towards job [13].Also, some jobs due to their natures have been reported to lead to more job dissatisfaction than other do [17].Attitudes toward jobs were also found to influence job performance [56,26].Variable associated with mental health have been found to have relationships with job satisfaction as well [34].A review of literature has shown that job dissatisfaction led to burnout, changing jobs, and missing work days [18,32,48,72].A review of studies on teachers indicated that increase in teachers' education levels [79] and ages [55] brought about increased job satisfaction.Also, it was found that the variable that affects the job satisfaction the most was the pay [69].Thus, it was reported that individuals would be happier when they had job satisfaction [70].Teachers with high levels of job satisfaction were found to have high levels of psycho-social motivation and internal satisfaction [77].Hence, based on the studies mentioned above, it may be said that positive evaluations towards individuals' professional lives can reflect positively in other areas; that job satisfaction may differ based on professions; and that job satisfaction is associated with variables such as pay, age, attitudes toward profession, and education levels.
Life satisfaction, considered as a variable to affect teachers' job satisfaction, includes evaluations about individuals' lives [30].Life satisfaction was also reported to include cognitive perceptions about individuals' subjective well-being [29].According to a similar definition, it is described as evaluations associated with individuals' pleasure with life [65].Literature shows a positive relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction in teachers [4,47,3].It was also seen that studies on life satisfaction has been on increase [12,25,33,76].Similarly, it was found that teachers' life satisfaction significantly predicted their attitudes toward teaching profession [59].Another study showed that there was a positive relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and their life satisfaction and a negative relationship between burnout and life satisfaction [67].Heller, Judge, and Watson [42] found a positive relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction.Thus, based on the research findings of studies conducted, it may be said that there is a relationship between job and life satisfaction and positive or negative perceptions of individuals' lives can affect their job lives.Thus, it can be said that teachers' evaluations of their own lives may reflect not only on their lives but also their job performance and communication with teachers, students, administrators, and parents.
The concept of efficacy as a predicting variable in the current research is explained within Bandura's theory [6] of social learning.Teacher self-efficacy is defined as teacher's perception of motivating students to learn [68].In another definition, it is described as beliefs that facilitate teacher's learning about students [38].Küçükahmet [52], included five basic characteristics in his definitions of teaching efficacy: teacher's personal characteristics, academic competencies, world knowledge, professional attitudes, and professional competence.A review of studies on teacher efficacy indicates that most studies were conducted with pre-service teachers and research with teachers was limited [1,73,75,45,41,78].In a similar study, Demirtaş, Cömert, and Özer [28] found a positive relationship between self-efficacy and attitudes toward profession in pre-service teachers.In another similar research, Bümen and Ercan-Özaydın [15] found that pre-service teachers' beliefs about teacher self-efficacy significantly increased based on grade-levels.Yeşil [74] revealed that teachers were incompetent in using the teaching materials.Bielicki [9] found that perceptions of classroom management, associated with teacher efficacies, were effective on job satisfaction.In a similar study, teacher efficacy significantly predicted job satisfaction [35].Teacher efficacy was found to be effective on job satisfaction in similar studies [58,19,50].Thus, based on a review of conducted studies, it may be said that teacher efficacy (personal characteristics, academic and professional competencies, world knowledge, etc.) may be significantly effective on job satisfaction.It may also be said that teachers who consider themselves competent may have high job satisfaction.Hence, it may be said that teacher efficacy can be a significant variable in increasing teachers' job satisfaction.
Another variable, effective on job satisfaction in the current research, was self-esteem.Rosenberg [60] described self-esteem as individuals' positive and negative self-perception.Coopersmith [23], on the other hand, defined self-esteem as individual's consideration of his/her own self as competent and important as well as perceiving oneself as successful and valuable.Studies conducted showed that individuals with high scores of self-esteem had self-control [63], higher scores of psychological soundness [46], and higher-level variables such as life satisfaction and happiness levels [7] and they were more optimistic [54].Individuals with low-levels of self-esteem were found to be pessimistic about their future and to have negative thoughts [21].Thus, it can be said that self-esteem has an important role in an individual's life and high-level self-esteem reflects positively on many variables.In addition, studies conducted showed that employees with high-level self-esteem had high-level job satisfaction [43,10,11,57,40].In a similar study, Balkar [5] showed that teaching faculty with high levels of self-esteem had high-level job satisfaction and low-level burnout.A review of studies conducted showed a positive relationship between self-esteem and job satisfaction.Particularly teachers' self-esteem is considered important because self-esteem and professional awareness of teachers to educate future generations will positively affect their job satisfaction.It can be said that teachers with high-level job satisfaction will be able to better communicate with students, parents, and administrators and they will be more successful in their social and academic lives.
In order for the teachers, with an important share in the development within communities, to be in modern and self-renewing educational systems, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, and self-esteem are considered influential on educational activities, work performance, and job satisfaction.The variables influential on teachers' job satisfaction are considered to affect both the teacher-student and the teacher-parent communication as well as the collaboration.Adiyaman is a city in Turkey, a membership candidate for the European Union (EU).Thus, education has been reported to be a stimulator of development in economics, politics, social, and cultural spheres in Turkey.However, it was seen that sources were not adequately allocated for education expenses among EU countries.As all other public institutions, education is also based on a central management in Turkey.In European Union countries, education management is local: cities, local administrations, and schools are largely authorized to make decisions.In Turkey, both education budget and the rate of schooling are on lower levels than those in EU countries and the class sizes in schools are larger than those in EU schools.Teacher work days in a week are around the same amount compared with EU countries [90].Thus, it is thought that the current research on the factors impacting job satisfaction of teachers employed in high schools in a city in Turkey may facilitate comparison with those in other countries.
Teachers have the most important role in conducting educational activities within the basic structure of education system.Therefore, any variable to affect teachers' job satisfaction may also influence educational activities.Thus, it is considered important to reveal the variables that affect teachers' job satisfaction.Also, the current research is considered necessary and important in terms of providing interventional services in the case of low-level job satisfaction.

The Purpose of the Study
The current research aims to find out the extent to which high school teachers' life satisfaction, teaching efficacy, and self-esteem predict their job satisfaction.The following research questions were put forward based on this purpose: The Roles of Life Satisfaction, Teaching Efficacy, and Self-esteem in Predicting Teachers' Job Satisfaction

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To what extent does teachers' life satisfaction predict their job satisfaction?

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To what extent does teachers' efficacy predict their job satisfaction?

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To what extent does teachers' self-esteem predict their job satisfaction?

Limitations
Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Teacher Efficacy Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used in the current study.Thus, the current research is limited to the characteristics measured by these instruments.The research participants included 358 teachers employed in high schools in the city of Adiyaman.To be able to generalize the findings, the current study should be repeated in different places in Turkey and around the world.

Methods
The current research is a predictive study based on a descriptive relational survey model.According to Heppner, Wampold, and Kivlighan [92], relational designs are used for studying the relationships between two or more variables.Descriptive research focuses on describing phenomenon as it is.Survey studies are widely used in the field of education.Researchers study relationships among variables in order to better understand them.A study on relationships and associations is often called an associational research [91].The current research aimed to study the extent to which life satisfaction, teacher efficacy, and self-esteem of teachers employed in a high school predicted their job satisfaction.

Participants
Research participants included a total of 358 teachers (age=38.82;Ss=6.73; range, 22-58), 222 males (62%) and 136 females (38%), employed in 21 public high schools in the city center of Adıyaman in Turkey.50 participant teachers (14%) were single and 308 (86%) were married.Education levels of the participant teachers were as follows: 318 (88.8%) with a BA degree, 36 (10.1%) with a MA degree, 3 (0.8%) with an associate degree and 1 (0.3%) with a PhD.Years in service were as follows: ( X service years=14.72;Ss=7; range, 1-35).Adiyaman is a city in the eastern part of Turkey and, as in all other cities, education administration is based on centralization.Thus, because education is provided centrally and publicly, except environmental and geographical differences, working conditions in Turkey may be considered similar.

Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (MJSS)
MJSS, developed by Weiss, Dawis, England ve Lofquist [71], was adapted into Turkish language by Baycan (1985).MJSS is a Likert-type scale with 20 items calculating Internal, External, and General Satisfaction scores.General Satisfaction scores were used in the current research.General Satisfaction scores are found by dividing the item total into 20.The top score to be obtained on the scale is 100 and the lowest score is 20.The scale Cronbach's alpha value was found as 0.77.Sat's (2011) study showed that the rate of variance explained upon MJSS factor analysis was 0.65 and it had a negative relationship with Maslach Burnout Inventory.Baycan [7] and Sat [62] concluded in their studies that the scale was valid and reliable.

Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)
Satisfaction with Life Scale was developed in order to investigate the satisfaction that individuals perceive in their lives.The scale, consisting of total 5 items, is a single-dimension scale.The scale has a 7-point structure with 1= Never Satisfying, 2= Not Satisfying, 3= Somewhat Not Satisfying, 4= neither Satisfying nor Not Satisfying, 5= Somewhat Satisfying, 6= Satisfying, and 7= Very Satisfying.The scale was adapted into Turkish language by Köker [51].Face validity technique was used for the scale validity study.Upon item analysis for the scale, correlations between scores obtained on each item and the total scores was considered adequate.Scale reliability study showed that test-retest reliability was r= .85 and item-test correlations were between .71 and .80.All items on the scale were positive.

Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES)
Teacher Efficacy Scale, developed by Gibson and Dembo [37] to define the competencies of teaching profession and later reviewed by Guskey and Passaro [38], was used in the current research.The scale, adapted into Turkish language by Diken [31], consists of 16 Likert-type items.The lowest score on the scale is 16 and the highest score is 80. High total score indicates high teacher efficacy and low score obtained on the scale means low teaching efficacy.The scale includes 7 positive and 9 negative items.Internal consistency coefficient of the items that make up the scale was analyzed through Cronbach's alpha test and it was found as .71.Based on this, the scale can be considered valid and reliable.2.2.4.Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is a generally valid scale used in many studies in different countries today.The scale was developed by Rosenberg [60].The total scale score ranges between 10 and 40.Self-esteem increases as the total increases.The validity and reliability studies for the scale, adapted into Turkish language by Çuhadaroğlu [24], were conducted and the validity of the self-esteem category was tested.In evaluations through psychiatry interviews, students' self-esteem was put into three groups such as high, medium, and low, based on views of their own self.The relationships between the results of interviews and the self-esteem scale were calculated and the validity ratio was found as .71.It was seen that the scale could be administered on adolescents and adults in groups.The scale, consisting of total 63 items, has 12 sub-dimensions.In the current research, Self-Esteem sub-dimension, with 10 items, was used.

Personal Information Form
PIF was used to collect data associated with personal information in the current research.It contains items to reveal teachers' ages, genders, years in service, and levels of education.

Descriptive
analyses, Pearson product-moment correlation, and hierarchical linear multi regression analysis were used in the analyses of quantitative data in the current research.Data analysis was conducted through IBM SPSS 15.0 software.Significance level was set as .05 in order to define whether the difference between the averages was significant.

Findings
In this section, findings associated with quantitative dimension of the current research were presented.Some assumptions are required to be made in order to use the hierarchical linear multi regression analysis in the current study.According to Kalaycı [44], data should be distributed normally, there should be a linear relationship between the variables, and the average of the error terms must be zero.In addition, there should not be an auto-correlation issue (Durbin-Watson values must be between 1.5 and 2.5) and there should be no multi-covariance among the independent variables (multi co-linearity -the relationship among more than two variables must not be more than .80).It can be said that data in the current research was distributed normally and when Mahalanobis value, found for the outlying value analysis, was lower than the table value found, it can be said that multi-variable normality assumption was met.Participants with a Mahalanobis value, more than the Chi Square table value, are defined as outliers and can be excluded in the data set.For these operations, a significance level of .001 is recommended to be considered [16].Thus, 8 data with outlying values were excluded in the data set.A review of dispersion traffic among the variables showed a linear relationship, a Durbin-Watson value of 1.96, no auto-correlation issues, and no multi co-variance issues among independent variables.In addition, VIF values were found between 1 and 1.33.Based on that, it can be said that there was no multi linearity issue.In Table 1 below, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient values associated with the current research variables are included.Based on that, skewness and kurtosis values ranged between .07 and .68.Data falling between +1 and -1 indicate that there was no significant breach of normality [66].
As can be seen in Table 1, Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale average was ( X =3.26); Satisfaction with Life Scale average was ( X =23.45);Teacher Efficacy Scale average was ( X =52.22); and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale average was ( X =31.77).A review of correlation coefficient values showed that there was positive relationships between MJSS and, respectively, SWLS (r=.56),TES (r=.33), and RSES (r=.28).A positive relationship between SWLS and TES (r=.28) and RSES (r=.37) was found.Finally, there was a positive relationship between TES and RSES (r=.43).The Roles of Life Satisfaction, Teaching Efficacy, and Self-esteem in Predicting Teachers' Job Satisfaction A review of Table 2 showed that three different regression models were obtained upon hierarchical multi regression analysis of teachers' scores on Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale.A review of R 2 values showed that Satisfaction with Life Scale explained 31% of Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (F (1,356) =162.991**); this was increased by 34% upon analyzing Teacher Efficacy Scale (F (2,355) =95.105**) and by 35% upon analyzing Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (F (3,354) = 66.123**).

Discussion, Results, and Suggestions
Three different regression models were obtained upon hierarchical multi regression analysis of scores on Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale.A review of R2 values, on the other hand, showed that Satisfaction with Life Scale explained 31% of Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale; this was increased by 34% upon analyzing Teacher Efficacy Scale and by 35% upon including Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in the analysis.In similar studies conducted, relationships were found between job satisfaction and personality characteristics [27,49,61].Personal inclination, close relationship, and cultural experiences were reported to be more important in explaining the satisfaction with life [22].In another similar study, Akgündüz [2] found a positive relationship between job satisfaction and satisfaction with life and self-efficacy.A positive relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction was found in similar studies [4,47,3,12,25].Gümüş [39], found a positive relationship between job satisfaction, satisfaction with life, and personal achievement, in his study investigating various professions.Based on the studies in relevant literature and the findings of the current research, it can be said that there is a positive relationship between job satisfaction and satisfaction with life.It can also be said that satisfaction with life predicted the job satisfaction because teachers' positive or negative evaluations of their own lives could not be separated from their professional lives.Even though life and profession are considered separate, they both are medium of interpersonal relations.Hence, it can be said that individuals' positive considerations and evaluations (life standards, education levels, socio-economic level, etc.) of their own lives are expected to reflect on their professional lives: both areas are mutually influential.In addition, the teaching profession in Turkey is not attractive due to inadequate salaries and benefits [85].Also, studies conducted in Turkey indicated that decrease in the prestige of teaching profession became an important factor among others impacting teachers [82,84].Döş and Atalmış [83] studied the results of PISA tests conducted to evaluate education qualities in OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.In the current research, annual spending per student and teacher salary had a positive relationship with all PISA scores and, also, class size and student-teacher ratio had a negative relationship with these scores.Similarly, Güven [86] stated that teachers' salaries were much less than those in European countries; economic benefits and prestige of the profession in the society were publicly determined because employment in teaching profession was largely provided by the state.The perception of professionality, by professional groups and by the community, in teaching was mostly shaped by inadequate budget allocations for education and the policies of employment.It was also stated that teachers were considered practicing technicians rather than a group of professionals due to limited number and influence, leading to all decisions and applications centrally managed and audited, of non-government professional organizations.Thus, it may be stated that salaries paid, number of students in a class, and social status of the profession, considered to increase the quality of education, may be positively influential on life and job satisfaction.
Another finding of the current research showed that upon including Teacher Efficacy Scale in the analysis, the model increased by 34%.Thus, this indicated that teacher efficacy also affected teachers' job satisfaction.In a study conducted by the Ministry of National Education in 2000s, teacher efficacy domains were categorized under three headings such as specific field knowledge and skills, general world knowledge and skills, and educational and instructional competencies [80].In another study to support the findings of the current research, Caprara, Barbaranelli, Steca, and Malone [20] found that teacher self-efficacy beliefs influenced job satisfaction and students' academic achievement.In another similar study, Gençtürk and Memiş [36] revealed the relationship between teacher efficacy and the job satisfaction.In another similar research, Buluç and Demir [14] found that teachers' self-efficacy perceptions significantly predicted job satisfaction.In similar studies, teacher efficacy was found to be effective on job satisfaction [58,19,50].Küçükahmet [52] reported that personal characteristics, academic competency, general world knowledge, professional attitudes, and professional competence were significant for teacher efficacy.Studies in the relevant literature seem to support the findings of the current research.Hence, it can be said that teachers' consideration of themselves as academically adequate (personal characteristics, academic and professional competencies, world knowledge, etc.) may positively influence their job satisfaction.Therefore, when increasing teachers' job satisfaction, personal characteristics, attitudes toward the teaching profession and professional competence within teacher efficacy can be considered significant.Similarly, Karabıyık and Korumaz [81] found a positive relationship between teacher efficacy and job satisfaction in their study conducted in Turkey.They stated that teacher preparation policies needed to be reviewed as the student-teacher ratio in Turkey was larger than that in EU countries [90].Hence, teacher efficacy affecting job satisfaction was found in various studies.
Another finding of the current research showed that the model increased by 35% upon including Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in the analysis.Teachers with high self-esteem can be said to have positive job satisfaction.In similar studies, employees with high self-esteem were found to have high job satisfaction [43,10,11,57,40].Thus those studies conducted support the findings of the current research.Respect by the professional or social environments (spouse, friend, student, administrator, politician, etc.) toward teachers is considered important for them to be able to develop high self-esteem.It is also thought that teachers' prestige, status, income, in connection with profession, and their attitudes toward the profession may affect the self-esteem.It can also be said that low levels of self-esteem may lead to experiences of dissatisfaction in the profession for the teachers.Hence, studies conducted in Turkey indicated that teachers thought that their salaries were inadequate and included inadequate salaries among stress factors [87].Similarly, it was reported that school administrators' attitudes led to stress in teachers [87] and created problems [89].Also, it was stated that both education budget and schooling rates were lower than those in EU countries and the class sizes were larger than those in EU schools [90].Thus, it may be expected that all those factors (salary, administrators' attitudes, large class sizes) may reduce teachers' self-esteem and impact job satisfaction.
Based on the findings of the current research, it can be said that satisfactions with life, teacher efficacy, and self-esteem have important roles in teachers' job satisfaction.Thus, in order for teachers to be more successful in their professions and to have high levels of job satisfaction, studies (psycho-educational group activities, psychological counseling, in-service training, etc.) to increase their positive perceptions of life can be recommended.As teachers also need to keep up with the changes and developments of teacher efficacy in this age, practicing and pre-service teacher efficacy (personal characteristics, professional attitude, academic skills, etc.) can be reviewed, keeping students' academic needs in mind.In addition, it is thought that, first of all, increasing or improving the prestige (pay and attitudes of administrators, bureaucrats, etc. toward teaching profession) of teaching profession is needed in order for teacher self-esteem to be improved.
Finally, the current research has the following limitations: the current study was conducted with teachers employed in public high schools in Adıyaman.Thus, it is not generalizable to teachers overall.In future studies, with teachers on various education levels, the role of socio-demographic (school type, year in service, city, teaching load, class size, etc.) variables in job satisfaction can be investigated.

Table 1 .
Descriptive Statistics and Pearson Correlation Coefficient Values associated with the Research Variables