Date of Award

11-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Mohamed Alhosani

Second Advisor

Dr. Ali Ibrahim

Third Advisor

Hassan AI Khamiri

Abstract

Teacher job satisfaction has been the subject of research, but little attention has been paid to the effect of principal-teacher communication on teacher job satisfaction in the United Arab Emirates. This research paper investigated the effect of principal communication on teacher job satisfaction, and provides suggestions to improve principal-teacher communication process in cycle 1 schools in Al Ain city. It answered questions about principals’ communication practices, teachers’ satisfaction levels, and the most effective principal-teacher communication practices, which lead to high teacher's job satisfaction, and differences based on the principals’ gender in communication with teachers. To achieve the goals of this research, an accessible population of 196 teacher participants was used, from eight different cycle1, government schools in the Al Ain Educational Zone, in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Of the principals, three were male and five were female. A quantitative methodology used a five Likert scale questionnaire (from Never to Always). The study reveals that a significant relationship exists between principal-teacher communication practices and teachers' job satisfaction. Moreover, there was a difference between teachers' satisfaction and male and female principals’ communication practices. Teachers’ recommendations to improve principal-teacher communication in a way that increases their job satisfaction provide new insights in the United Arab Emirates context.

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