Job Satisfaction: A Challenging Area of Research in Education

Indian Education Commission (1966) describes teacher as one of the most important factors contributing to the national development. He is the pivot around which all the educational programs, such as curriculum, syllabus, textbooks, evaluation, etc., rotate. The best system of education may fail to achieve the desire ends in the absence of sincere, competent and professionally aware teachers. National Policy on Education (1986) rightly states “No people can rise above the level of its teachers”. As a person imbibes, interprets and disseminates the relevant items of culture and traditions of the past, he creates new knowledge, promotes innovations, critically appraises the past and its traditions and cultures, sifts the grain from the chaffe, strengthens social and economic fabrics of the nation. Education is basically the influence which the teacher exerts on the students entrusted to his care. Effective teachers are required in the classroom because even the best curriculum and most perfect syllabus remain ineffective in the absence of a good teacher. The teaching profession, according to Daniels (1973) inherently entails certain well-known self obvious and implicit obligations, commitments and expectations from its members. The society bestows its trust on all the professionals to rise to the demands of the profession. In order to perform his role of paramount and vital significance effectively, a teacher should be professionally aware of professional demands and obligations placed on him by the profession. Further the role of teachers in influencing the future of our advancing national development is becoming increasingly important. Development of the country requires a high rate of production and fullest possible utilization of both human as well as material resources. Nowadays, there is, however, a general feeling that the teachers do not have satisfaction in their job. There seems to be growing discontentment towards their job as a result of which standard of education are falling. Teachers are dissatisfied in spite of different plans and programs, which have been implemented to improve their job. Job satisfaction consists of total body of feeling about the nature of job promotion, nature of supervision etc. that an individual has about his job. If the sum total of influence of these factors gives arises to feelings of satisfaction, the individual has job satisfaction. Under such circumstances it is essential that the proper understanding concerning satisfaction emanating from the job life be obtained.