In a recent New Straits Times (1997) report, Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Fong Chan Onn was quoted as saying that teachers in Johore are leaving the country to work in Singapore. In the same report, the Deputy Minister revealed that many teachers are also leaving the government service for the private sectors. As the private schools and colleges mushroom, more government school teachers are leaving for these private educational institutions. Some teachers even resigned or opted out at the age of fifty to work in Brunei because of higher salary. This scenario indicates that some government school teachers are dissatisfied with the reward system and work environment in the government schools.

Under the New Remuneration System, government servants are allowed to opt for early retirement at the age of forty (KPM, 1994). When this fringe benefit was given to the teachers, the number of applications were indeed very alarming. National Union of Teaching Professions (NUTP) estimated that about two thousands teachers applied for early retirement annually. This further aggravates the already serious problem of teacher shortage due to the unattractiveness of the teaching profession. The booming economies for the last decade have made the teacher shortage problems even more critical. Many high school leavers and university graduates, especially the men, are said to prefer non-teaching professions. As an effort to attract more school leavers to choose teaching as a career, the government have upgraded the teaching certificate to the level of diploma. Effective from July 1, 1999, the starting basic salary of non graduate teachers will be increased from RM625 to RM917 (NSTP, 1997c). While awaiting for the result of this effort in overcoming the shortage of teachers (if any), the government have no other alternatives but to revert back to her earlier decision by imposing stricter conditions for teachers’ optional retirement to avoid the exodus of teachers and to overcome shortage of teachers. One of the more stringent measures to discourage teachers from opting for early retirement is raising the optional retirement age for teachers. One other measure is to disallow teachers getting their pension at the time of optional retirement. Pensions will be paid only at the age of fifty five for teachers appointed after 1992. Female and male teachers can now opt for early retirement, subject to the discretion of Ministry of Education, only at the age of forty five and fifty respectively. Other government servants still can opt for early retirement at the age of forty.

In view of such a serious situation, the cabinet had set up a special committee headed by former Director General of Education, Tan Sri Datuk Wira Abdul Rahman Haji Arshad to review various aspects of the teaching profession, including their scheme of service, workload, incentives and welfare of teachers, and facilities (NSTP, 1997a). The government does not want teachers to be demoralised or to leave the service to seek greener pastures. The committee had made eighty two recommendations to overcome the grievances of some 250,000 Government school teachers. The Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad Committee Report addressed almost all problems in the teaching profession including job specification and workload as well as proposals for better career programme and staff replacement scheme. Obviously, the government’s concern for the teaching profession showed that the government is aware of the problems faced by the teaching profession. The general perception is that teachers are not satisfied with their profession and their morale is low. The report confirmed claims made by the National Union of Teaching Profession that the morale was so low that teachers are frustrated, not just over poor salary schemes but also over poor working conditions and unnecessary workload which force them to spend less time with the students.

Despite the committee’s recommendations, till the time of writing this report, none of the recommendations have been implemented. In fact, the Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Rahman Committee’s Report had been shrouded in secrecy under the Official Secret Act for almost a year now. It was not until 2^nd August 1997 that the report was declassified. Despite this declassification, secrecy still prevailed. The report was only available to the teachers’ unions. The report has yet to be made public. The delay in declassification and implementation, if any, was because the recommendations projected huge financial implications that would affect the Government’s operational cost. This could be attributed to the large number of teachers (some 250,000) in the teaching profession. Any revision in the service scheme for the teachers will definitely affect other civil servants in the same categories. Clearly, the government could not afford this revision of service scheme financially. Moreover, not all the eighty two recommendations could be adopted by the Government because it would cost the Government a whopping RM 17 billion. (NSTP, 1997a). The Education Minister, Datuk Seri Najib was quoted as saying helplessly that " It is not that the Government does not want to give a good deal but how much we can afford". Therefore, it is important for the government to look into the possibility of providing a better school environment or more conducive school climate for the teaching profession as this would not involve other civil servants. This study intends to seek empirical evidence and provide a tool towards determining the positive school climate dimensions which are associated with the teachers’ job satisfaction.

Teachers play a very crucial role in achieving the objectives of Vision 2020. Disgruntled teachers who are not satisfied with their job will not be committed and productive. They will not be performing at the best of their capabilities if they are not satisfied. Consequently, not only the teaching profession is in serious jeopardy but the attainment of Vision 2020 will be affected. Empirical studies have shown that organizational climate factors are related to job satisfaction (Poon et al., 1989). It would, therefore, be useful to ascertain what factors in the school organizational setting, as perceived by the teachers, are associated with their job satisfaction. These factors are of great implementation implications to the school policy makers and administrators. If the government cannot provide a better salary scheme to the teachers, at the very least, a better school organizational climate which also include a better school working environment should be provided as an alternative to boost the teachers’ morale.

The above scenario clearly shows that the teaching profession is facing problems related to teachers’ job satisfaction. Grievances concerning the teaching service frequently highlighted by the press through letters to the editors reflects on the severity of the problem. The general perception is that teachers in the government schools are dissatisfied with their profession. They are said to be dissatisfied with teaching in the government schools. To what extent is this perception true? A systematic and scientific enquiry is therefore necessary and timely.

Literature review showed that Frederick Herzberg (1966, cited in Stephen 1996) had identified the elements which cause job dissatisfaction and those which can cause job satisfaction. He distinguished between hygiene factors and motivator factors. Hygiene factors which cause dissatisfaction at work are company policy and administration; salary; interpersonal relations; working conditions and job security. Motivator factors which cause job satisfaction include advancement; gaining recognition, being given responsibility; challenging work; achievement and growth in the job.

If it is true that government school teachers are dissatisfied, what then are these dissatisfaction? In what aspects are they not satisfied? Is it the principal-teacher; teacher-teacher and the student-teacher relationship? Is it the working environment? Is it the workload and the work pressure, or is it the reward system? Taking schools as organizations, what are the school organizational climate factors or the school climate dimensions that contribute towards these dissatisfactions? Is it the lack of empowerment, student support, affiliation, professional interest, mission and goals consensus, resource adequacy or the work pressure dimensions of the organisational climate? Therefore, one of the research questions to be answered in this enquiry is: "What are the dimensions of the school organizational climate that are positively or negatively associated with teachers’ job satisfaction?"

This study narrows down its focus to only government secondary schools, both fully residential and non residential schools. Fully residential schools are better equipped in terms of resources and facilities. The student intakes, both in terms of academic background and discipline, are regarded as better and more favourable than those in the non residential schools. The students for the residential schools are specially selected whereas the students in the non residential schools are not. Teachers in fully residential schools have less number of teaching periods than their counterparts in non residential schools. Class enrolments in fully residential schools are also smaller. Schools, parents and the society at large have greater expectations from teachers in the residential than non residential schools. Teachers in the residential schools felt that their responsibilities and burdens are heavier as a result of higher societal expectations. On the other hand, teachers in the non residential schools are faced with whole lots of other types of problems such as bigger classroom enrolments, more teaching periods, student disciplinary problems, less number of quality students and problems of resource adequacy. With these distinctions, teachers in residential schools perceived that teachers in non residential schools are less pressured in terms of student academic achievements while teachers in the non residential schools felt that their counterparts in residential schools have a better life in terms of better working environment. Hence, this study attempts to determine whether there are any differences in teachers’ perceptions of various school climate dimensions and to determine whether there are any differences in the teachers’ level of job satisfaction in selected residential and non residential schools. This study also attempts to examine the teachers’ level of job satisfaction and school climate perceptions in the selected government secondary schools as a combined sample.

Literature review showed that there are a few generic measures of job satisfaction. Empirical data indicates that the global measures of job satisfaction are not equivalent to the sum of facet measure of job satisfactions. Defining overall job satisfaction as the sum of the evaluations of the discrete elements of which the job is composed, may lead to neglect of major determinants of job satisfaction. In this study, the overall job satisfaction is measured by facet specific and facet free instruments. The question here is whether a judgement about overall job satisfaction measured by facet free instrument is equivalent to overall job satisfaction measured by facet specific job satisfaction instrument. Hence, the last research question to be answered is: "Are there any significant differences in the operationalization of overall job satisfaction by facet specific and facet free instruments?"

In summary, the following research questions have been identified for the present study :

• Are there any differences in teachers’ perceptions of school climate between fully residential and non residential schools ?
• Are there any differences in teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction between fully residential and non residential schools ?
• What is the level of job satisfaction among the selected government secondary school teachers?
• What is the level of perceptions of school organizational climate among the selected government secondary school teachers?
• What are the dimensions of the school organizational climate that are positively or negatively associated with teachers’ job satisfaction?
• Are there any significant differences in the operationalization of job satisfaction by facet specific and facet free instruments?

General Objective

The general objective of the study is to examine teachers’ perceptions of school organizational climate and job satisfaction in selected government secondary schools.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the study are:

1. To determine whether there are any differences in teachers’ perceptions of school organizational climate dimensions in selected residential and non residential government secondary schools.
2. To determine whether there are any differences in teachers’ job satisfaction in selected residential and non residential government secondary schools.
3. To determine the level of teachers’ job satisfaction in selected government secondary schools.
4. To examine teachers’ perceptions of school organizational climate dimensions in the selected government secondary schools.
5. To examine the relationship between the perceived school organizational climate dimensions and secondary school teachers’ job satisfaction.
6. To determine whether there are any significant differences in the operationalization of overall job satisfaction by facet specific and facet free instruments.

Job satisfaction remains a variable that had been widely studied in many private organizations (Md Zabid, 1990; Abdul Mutalib 1992; Chin 1993; Tee 1994 and Lee et al. 1996) and government agencies including schools (Abdul Latif 1979; Zaiton 1982; Che Omar 1985; Mazlan 1990; Mohd Majid 1991; Koh 1992; Abdul Main 1993; Mohamed 1993, Hamzah 1994). However, not many of these studies focused on the relationship between organizational climate and job satisfaction.

Among studies in the private sectors, Md Zabid (1990) focused on the relationship between job satisfaction and motivation among bank managers. Chin (1993) focused on perceived job characteristics and job satisfaction among production workers of a garment export factory. Tee (1994) focused on job satisfaction among supermarket employees. Lee et al. (1996) studied the relationship between job satisfaction and conflict among technical employees in selected Malaysian engineering firms. Inter-group conflict was found to be negatively related to overall job satisfaction.

Among researches on governmental organizations, Ghazali (1979) investigated the sources of job satisfaction of Malaysian school teachers. By way of quartrimax rotational factor analysis, Ghazali (1979) identified seven factors as sources of teachers’ job satisfaction. These factors were relations with clientele, relations with administrator, relations with colleagues, resource adequacy, promotion, salary, comfort and convenience, as well as status and prestige. Nor Azizah (1988) focused on job satisfaction and professional needs of college trained teachers in Selangor, Malaysia and its implication for continuing education. Abdul Main (1990) studied the factors affecting secondary school principals’ job satisfaction. Koh (1992) studied only job satisfaction of physical education teachers. Mazlan (1993) focused on the relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction and curriculum management and teaching. Mohamad (1993) studied whether overall job satisfaction of managerial employees in the Public Services Department could be better determined when placed within the context of individual’s total life satisfaction. He determined that selected individual attributes, selected job related variables and selected non job related variables are potential determinants of overall job satisfaction.

The above literature review showed that in the local context, not many studies had focused on the relationship between school organizational climate and teachers’ job satisfaction. In fact, with the exception of Poon et al. (1986, 1989, 1990), not many climate studies had been done locally. Even in Poon et al.’s studies, the unit of analysis was not teachers or schools but employees in some other private business organizations. Therefore, the first significance of this study is to contribute towards further empirical research in the field of organizational climate and its relationship with job satisfaction which is lacking in the local literature especially in the school context.

In addition, a study on the comparison between teachers’ perceptions of their school climate dimensions and their perceptions of job satisfaction in fully residential and non residential schools have yet to be done. As mentioned earlier, situations and work environments in fully residential schools are different from non residential schools. In fully residential schools, facilities are more well equipped; there are less numbers of teaching periods; less numbers of students per class and the students are of better quality. With these better working environments, student input and other more favourable conditions, it is interesting to find out whether teachers in fully residential schools are more satisfied with their job and school environment. This enquiry will provide some insights into this frequently asked question among teachers in residential and non residential schools.

Apart from that, this study is clearly important in the sense that it can help the schools concerned to identify school organizational climate factors that are positively or negatively related to teachers’ job satisfaction. Organizational climate was found to be associated with job satisfaction (Poon et al., 1989, 1990), work motivation (Poon et al. 1986); employees’ organizational commitment (Razali, 1997), work performance (Poon, 1990; Dzulkifli, 1996), productivity (Kopelman et al., 1990) and school effectiveness (Doug et al. 1979). Hence, with the identification of school organizational climate factors that are positively related to teachers’ job satisfaction and if the schools use the climate and job satisfaction survey data to make some human resource management and administrative adjustments, then the teachers’ job satisfaction and morale can be enhanced. Indirectly, this will help schools to motivate the teachers to be more committed and to contribute more towards school’s performance and effectiveness.

In summary, the researcher is convinced that this study will contribute to the understanding and improvement of the school’s functioning and the teachers’ job satisfaction and productivity within the school.

The general assumption of this study is that school organizational climate is better measured by the teachers’ perceptions or descriptions of the school rather than the descriptions of a third party observer. Hellriegel and Slocum (1974, cited in Schnake, 1983) suggested that subjective or perceptual measures were preferable. Major climate instruments were perceptual and intended to be descriptive rather than evaluative (Schnake, 1983). Hence, the teachers’ perceptions were used to measure the climate of the individual school. Since organizational climate involves perceptions of an organization’s environment, it is also assumed that different schools with different practices and procedures may have different climates (Muchinsky, 1976, cited in Poon 1990). Last but not least, the school organizational climate and job satisfaction instruments adopted from the western models were assumed to be universal and applicable in the local setting.

The researcher is aware that there are as many organizational climate instruments as there are dimensions that are related to it. As there is no single instrument that is applicable to all organizations, the instrument selected is assumed as the most relevant and salient to the school as an organization. As there are so many climate dimensions, the dimensions studied may not include some other dimensions that are of interest to some other researcher. This study is also limited to the teachers’ perceptions of their actual school climate and not their preferred school climate.

As this study was confined to only two fully residential and two non residential schools, the findings were unique to these four schools only and cannot be generalized to other government secondary schools.

1. School Organizational Climate is defined as the prevailing characteristics of the school level environment which is perceived directly or indirectly by the teachers and is reflected in the perceptions teachers make of policies, practices and conditions which exist in the school. It includes the psycho-social dimensions of the school level environment. These psycho-social dimensions consist of relationship dimensions, personal development dimensions and system maintenance dimensions.
2. Empowerment : a relationship dimension of the school climate which measures the extent to which teachers have the opportunity to participate in decision making.
3. Student Support : a relationship dimension of the school climate which measures the extent to which there is good rapport between teachers and students; and students behave in a responsible and self-discipline manner.
4. Affiliation: a relationship dimension of the school climate which measures the extent to which the teachers can obtain assistance, advice and encouragement and are made to feel accepted by colleagues.
5. Professional interest: a professional development dimension of the school climate which measures the extent to which teachers discuss professional matters, show interest in their work and seek further professional development.
6. Mission and Goals Consensus: a system maintenance dimension of the school climate which measures the extent to which consensus exists within the staffs with regard to the understanding of mission and attaining the goals of the school.
7. Resource adequacy: a system maintenance dimension of the school climate which measures the extent to which support personnel, facilities, finance, equipment and resources are available and adequate.
8. Work pressure : a system maintenance dimension of the school climate which measures the extent to which work pressure dominates the school environment.
9. Job Satisfaction : a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences.
10. Facet Specific Job satisfaction : an affective response of individuals which is reflected in the evaluations individuals make of all the individual salient aspects of their job and the organization for which they work. It is conceptualized as to include intrinsic, extrinsic and social satisfaction.
11. Intrinsic Satisfaction: satisfaction with regard to chances to accomplish something worthwhile (achievement); the amount of job freedom (autonomous); the chances to do something that make one feels good about oneself (self-esteem); the opportunity to take part in decision making (responsibility); the opportunity to learn new things for personal growth (growth needs); and job security.
12. Extrinsic Satisfaction: satisfaction with amount of pay and the fringe benefits one received.
13. Social Satisfaction: satisfaction with treatment, respect one receives from one’s colleagues and the friendliness of people one works with.
14. Facet Free Job Satisfaction: a general composite or concluding expression of satisfaction derived from satisfaction with teaching as an occupation (occupation satisfaction), satisfaction with how teaching measures up to initial expectations (occupation expectation satisfaction), satisfaction with the present job (current job satisfaction), retrospective likelihood of entering teaching again (occupation decision) and the likelihood of optional retirement (optional retirement decision).
15. Occupation Satisfaction: a facet free item which taps the satisfaction associated with being in the particular line of employment of teaching.
16. Occupation Expectation Satisfaction: a facet free item which relates to the teachers’ satisfaction with the kind of activities in which teachers engaged..
17. Current Job Satisfaction: a facet free item which taps satisfaction with the overall experience of the teacher in the school at which the teacher is currently employed.
18. Occupation Decision: a facet free item which measures the likelihood of teaching as a profession again, with the face validity that the higher the likelihood, the higher the satisfaction with teaching as a profession.
19. Optional Retirement Decision: a facet free item which measures the likelihood of opting out early from the teaching profession, with the face validity that the higher the likelihood, the lower the satisfaction with teaching as a profession.