A study examined the influence of behavioral activities such as teaching, research, and service on faculty career satisfaction using Astin's theory of involvement. The research tested Astin's theory in predicting variations in career satisfaction by disciplinary category, and the contention that disciplinary differences are critical for…

A team of researchers from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is in its tenth year of working with individual schools to improve the quality of life within educational communities. This paper reports on the current Quality of School Life (QSL) study conducted to assess teachers' perceived levels of satisfaction with the quality of their…

This paper considers the question of faculty as "community." The study examined community-building efforts at one institution, which had been initiated in response to negative outside judgment about faculty effectiveness and that threatened the continued existence of the teacher preparation program. A "community committee" survey asked 32 faculty…

During the past three years more than 80 scholars, students, and educational leaders have participated with the Higher Education Research Institute in an extended series of dialogues about issues of spirituality, authenticity, meaning, wholeness, and self-renewal in higher education. These dialogues explored issues related to: achieving a greater…

This study examined relationships between hardiness and school climate in contributing to student teacher alienation. Survey results from 106 student teachers indicated that hardiness significantly affected alienation. Alienation levels of high-hardy students decreased in more supportive school climates. Low-hardy students increased in alienation…

Discusses the nature of job satisfaction, its relationship to performance, and associated organizational factors, such as commitment, in research libraries. Symptoms of job dissatisfaction are outlined, and a framework for improving job satisfaction provides suggestions in the areas of hiring, professional development, job design, empowerment, and…

This study examined 10 elementary school teachers' narratives of their teaching experiences to determine the political aspects of that development, particularly the processes of control, power, dominance, conflict and ideology that interacted with the teacher's developing sense of the working conditions necessary for proper job performance. Data…

Colleges without tenure are rare; in the United States 97 percent of research universities and 99 percent of four-year public colleges offer tenure. This study, one in a series about the priorities of the professoriate, examines the 9 percent of private colleges that operate without tenure; some are highly specialized professional schools, others…

Papers on collective bargaining and the economic condition of higher education are presented in six sections: financing; the next decade; campus bargaining; economics of education/labor markets; faculty compensation; and workplace issues. Papers include: "State Tax Capacity and Funding of Public Higher Education" (Kent Halstead);…

Higher education research on faculty and psychological and sociological literature on professionals at work in organizations are reviewed in order to determine, as part of a 5-year project, why faculty behave as they do. The survey is seen as a conceptual guide for understanding the multidimensional factors involved. The results of the analysis of…

A study of stress among 786 faculty at a land-grant university found differences in stress levels among discipline groups and higher stress reported by women than by men. The findings are discussed, and several proposals are made for individual faculty members, department heads, and academic administrators for addressing the problems of workplace…

Describes perceptions of conflict as a utility (functional conflict) among 1,953 department executives in programs of social work, education, and nursing (the emergent professions); and analyzes perceptual data in terms of organizational conflict climate and demographics. Variations in terms of perceived operational utility of organizational…

A discussion of employee assistance programs for faculty and other college personnel looks at the rationale for such programs, their goals, associated administrative problems and issues, and evaluation of their effectiveness. It is concluded that colleges have a responsibility for employee well-being and personal and professional development. (MSE)

Presents the results of a major study that attempts to define the occupational characteristics of the teaching profession in post-Soviet Russia. Compiles and summarizes a wide array of information concerning educational background, salaries, certification, professional attitudes, prestige, and other factors among Russian teachers. Includes…

Advocates a reconceptualization of Canadian teacher preparation that will involve partnerships in and outside the university. Shows how a reconceptualized concurrent preparation program would bring together discipline-based and practical knowledge, engaging preservice teachers in action research into the dilemmas of teaching, and integrating…