Teacher perceptions of the competence of the school management team on job satisfaction

Abstract

This research focused on teachers’ perceptions about the relationship between the competence of the School Management Team (SMT) in using an ethical foundation as an aspect of holistic leadership, and its impact on their job-satisfaction. This quantitative study adopted the epistemological standpoint of positivism. Seven hundred (700) educators across all post- levels in public and private schools in the provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal responded to the survey questionnaire. Initial analyses indicated that the participants were indecisive concerning their perceptions about the ethics of their SMTs’ leadership enactments. However, the Structural Equation Model revealed a positive and direct relationship between educators’ perceptions of their SMTs’ competence in adopting an ethical foundation pertaining to their leadership enactments, and the degree of job-satisfaction amongst educators. It was concluded that adopting an ethical foundation in school leadership is of significant value. It is apparent that an ethical foundation which is key to job-satisfaction, when practised by school leadership, has the potential to achieve sustainable development goals through its impact on the personal and professional development of teachers.