Job satisfaction of teachers working in most difficult schools, with special reference to Puttalam Education Zone, Sri Lanka

The present study was aimed at identifying the job satisfaction of teachers working in the most difficult schools in the Puttalam Education Zone, Sri Lanka. The objectives were to examine whether there is any relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction and intrinsic and extrinsic factors. A survey was carried out to identify teachers’ attitudes towards their careers. Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Data was collected from 93 teachers working in the most difficult schools in the Puttalam Education Zone, through a self-developed, pre-tested questionnaire. The study sample was analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that the majority of teachers were women and married. It is significant that more than 80% of teachers working in the most difficult schools have less than 10 years of teaching experience. There is a significant relationship between job satisfaction and intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Bi-variate analysis indicated that a sense of achievement of intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors, work conditions, pay and rewards have no significant relationship with teachers’ job satisfaction. Moreover, there is a multi-collinearity between the independent variables. The study recommends that the state should address teachers’ problems by providing them adequate teaching facilities, in-service training, promotions, accommodation and incentives, and revise transfer policies to motivate and retain teachers in the most difficult schools, to provide a long-term solution for teacher shortages in such schools in Sri Lanka.