Job satisfaction of culture teachers at vocational and technical high schools: A qualitative study

Teachers are one of the most important factors of education system. Increasing the chances of success in education is related to teachers' being satisfied with their jobs. In our country, teachers work at different kinds of schools. Vocational and technical high schools have an important role among these schools. In this study, the aim is to find out how culture teachers' job satisfaction has been affected by some problems at vocational and technical high schools. The researcher had interviews with 16 culture teachers working at different vocational and technical high schools in Kemalpaşa/İzmir. Data collected from semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher have been examined via phenomenological research design within the scope of the research aim and the main problem. Findings have shown that the factors which affect culture teachers' job satisfaction consist of individual and organisational factors. The individual factors affecting teachers' job satisfaction have found out that age, educational status, seniority and personal traits have an effect on job satisfaction but gender has no effect on job satisfaction. The organisational factors affecting teachers' job satisfaction have found out that nature of work, salary, colleagues, administration, working conditions, communication with students, communucation with parents and educational policies and curriculum affect every culture teacher disparately. Also it is obvious that organisational factors are more effective than indivual factors on job satisfaction. By the way, teachers state that they are satisfied with their job as a teacher but they are not satisfied with being a culture teacher at a vocational and technical high school. The most problematic issues culture teachers have been through are related to student profile and curriculum.