RISE Hub - Job Satisfaction

Introduction

Coming to work each day needs to be as far as possible a positive experience, the culture of a science department has a huge impact on this, as well as the whole school culture. Understanding your science department staff’s job satisfaction can help inform and make changes to improve aspects of their life at work. If science teachers are satisfied in their job, they are less likely to seek to leave the department, or if they do it will be for positive reasons such as promotion rather than leaving the profession.

Interpreting the data

You will receive two types of data from your department. The quantitative data based on a scale and qualitative answers based on two questions.

Quantitative data will tell you the relative perceptions on:

• Relationships including those with colleagues and support from managers
• Support when help is needed and flexibility in work
• Work-life balance and department morale.

The qualitative questions:

• The best thing about working in this science department is…
• Working in this science department could be improved if…

Take the written responses and, if there are enough, group them into themes.

e.g. in the pilot study, we found that common themes included:

• Support from colleagues
• Leadership within department and/or within school
• Student success and/or achievement
• Improved resources: classrooms, resources, laboratories
• Time for collaboration / curriculum development / professional development
• Better understanding/leadership from senior leadership

Ask yourself:

• Which scores are high, which are low? How does this compare to the national ASE RISE data?
• What is within my control to change or support?
• What can I support and how?
• What links can be made with the emotional needs data and the data career intentions?

General Strategies

• Analyse the data with your department and discuss strengths and ask for their ideas for improvements to job satisfaction.
• To ensure that all staff have an opportunity to share concerns, ask for help, feel acknowledged, 121 meetings can be very useful. It is also a useful barometer for overall job satisfaction and morale.
• The work-life balance analyser resource has been used successfully by individuals and whole departments.
• Work with Senior Leaders/Line manager to improve job satisfaction.
• For departments where relationships between science departments and senior leaders are impacting job satisfaction, the ASE RISE project has a funded package that aims to improve relationships between SLT and science departments.