This study aims to provide basic materials for improvement methods to construct a more stable work environment where nursery school teachers may become more professional, improve their work satisfaction, and lower work stress by exploring factors infl...
This study aims to provide basic materials for improvement methods to construct a more stable work environment where nursery school teachers may become more professional, improve their work satisfaction, and lower work stress by exploring factors influencing teachers' intents to leave.
This study surveyed 386 nursery school teachers working for Buddhist nursery schools in Seoul by using questionnaires.
This paper used a measurement tool provided by Misun Moon (2007), Chungmok Yoon (2008), and Hyungjung Lee (2009).
Data analyses applied for this study are as follows.
First, frequency analysis took place to explore general characteristics and work environment of teachers.
Second, in order to explore the difference between general characteristics of teachers and their intents to leave based on work environment, t-test and one-way ANOVA were carried out and verification took place afterwards through Duncan Analysis as for items with significant differences.
Third, in order to explore the relationships among work satisfaction, work stress, and intents to leave, correlation analysis was applied while multiple regression analysis was conducted to find impacts of work satisfaction and stress on teachers' intents to leave.
For processing of all data, SPSS 17.0 was used and verification took place with the significance level, 0.5.
Results from this study are as follows.
First, based on the study into the intents to leave according to general characteristics such as the marital status, religion, age, education, and major, there were no significant differences.
Second, based on the study into intents to leave according to the work environment such as the current work site and the period of working for a previous nursery, payment of excess work hours, and reasons for choosing the current nursery and the next one, there were significant differences by nursery teachers. Teachers currently working for national and public nursery schools showed the highest level of intents to leave.
Third, based on the study into the impact of work satisfaction on teachers' intents to leave, relationships with the nursery head, workload, social recognition, and remuneration had significant differences in the order stated. This means that a higher satisfaction with the relationship with the head, workload, social recognition, and remuneration relate to lower intents to leave.
Fourth, based on the study into the impact of work stress on teachers' intents to leave, economic factors as well as non-supportive work environment and management had significant results in the order stated. This means that a higher stress level from economic factors and non-supportive work environment and management related to higher intents to leave.
Fifth, based on the study into the correlation among work satisfaction, work stress, and intents to leave, all the sub-factors of work satisfaction had a negative correlation with the intents to leave but all the sub-factors of work stress had a positive correlation with the intents to leave.
Finally, based on the study into the impact of work satisfaction and work stress on the intent to leave, economic factors of the work stress, workload, non-supportive work environment and management, relationships with the head of the nursery school in terms of work satisfaction, and relationships with colleagues in terms of work stress had significant influences in the order stated. This means that a higher level of work stress in terms of economic factors, management and relationships with colleagues and lower work satisfaction in terms of the work itself as well as relationships with the head related to higher intents to leave.
Hence, a legal system must be prepared to help nursery school teachers to have a stable working environment. Also consultation system must be arranged to minimize problems of the status guarantee, welfare improvement, stress, or issues of relationships.