The term "professional quality of life," sometimes abbreviated as "ProQOL," refers to an individual's evaluation of the positive aspects of his or her working life. This frame may be categorized in two different ways. Compassion Fatigue (CF) is undesirable, yet Compassion Satisfaction (CS) motivates people to feel good about…

Teachers' rooms are important parts of educational environments, as the quality of the physical-spatial and psychosocial conditions may affect the personal and occupational developments of teachers as well as the education processes. In Study 1 (n = 245), a Teachers' Rooms-Environmental Assessment Scale (TREAS) measure of the current conditions of…

This empirical qualitative study of 62 new principals was conducted over several years to determine what challenges they face, how the principalship compares with their expectations, and what their long-term career aspirations are. The findings indicate that the challenges experienced by new principals pertain to instructional leadership;…

Two challenges that face educators--developing interactive professionalism in the schools, and facilitating teachers and principals as change agents--are examined in this book. Chapter 1 examines the following problem areas in educational change: overload; isolation; "groupthink"; untapped competence; narrow roles; and failed reform. A…

Findings of a study that examined the working conditions that teachers face in an urban school district in the southern United States are presented in this paper. A survey mailed to 1,329 teachers in 15 secondary and 68 elementary schools produced an approximate 50 percent response rate per school. Interviews were also conducted with the union…

Examines how to create a professional climate in middle schools given budgetary challenges. Provides checklist of physical, academic, organizational, and social-emotional climates for assessment of school's overall professional climate. Makes suggestions for low-cost school changes based on mutual respect as the cornerstone of the work…

Explores 40 urban principals' perceptions concerning obstacles to school effectiveness. Schools as organizational workplaces are plagued by stress, frustration, and alienation. There is a growing gap between school culture and the larger society. Kids who no longer buy into the American dream often fail to meet educator-imposed expectations.…

The learning organization (LO) can be described as an organizational culture in which individual development is a priority, outmoded and erroneous ways of thinking are actively identified and corrected, and all members clearly understand and support the purpose and vision of the organization. The LO has proved difficult to define. These five…

Chaos theory provides a useful mental model for guiding change as leaders garner the energy from unpredictable events for realizing transformation goals. The paper considers chaos theory as a framework for managing school change toward Total Quality Management work cultures. Change is possible to manage when plans are made and then followed by a…

This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the factors perceived by teachers as significant to the development of a safer school-work environment. The case study involved a 4-year project to decrease school violence in an urban, elementary, Chapter 1 school. Data were obtained from administration of the School Level Environment…

Trust, respect, and caring are crucial components in achieving or maintaining school effectiveness. This paper presents findings of a case study that examined the ways in which one urban school manifested particular characteristics of community--those of respect, caring, and trust. The one-year case study at an elementary school in Los Angeles…

The appreciative inquiry process was used to identify conditions enhancing self-directed learning. Participants in the project did the following: (1) used the five-step process to identify factors/conditions/forces that seemed to cause self-directed learning to occur; (2) created a matrix by combining the factors/conditions/forces with six…

Presents a theory of workplace control in American high schools based on the assumption that school workplaces contain potent systems that control the everyday work attitudes and conduct of teachers. Posits the formation of teacher types, each comprising distinctive attitudes toward work, as the link between control systems and behavior. (MJP)

Presents the results of a survey where 200 midwest public-school band directors were asked to respond to a four-part questionnaire on factors contributing to their sense of job satisfaction and job stress. Strong positive interpersonal relationships among directors and students, parents, administrators, and other faculty contributed most to job…

This report examines the results of an international study of higher education systems, based on surveys of approximately 1,000 faculty in each of the following nations: United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Israel, and Australia. Findings are organized around seven…