Perceptions of work-related conditions among teachers and persons in other occupations

This study compares the responses of 302 full-time schoolteachers and 285 persons prepared as teachers but working full time in other occupations on a number of work-related questions. The sample was drawn from a survey of individuals who received teaching certificates from the University of Michigan from 1946 through 1976. The results of stepwise discriminant function analysis indicate that teachers can be differentiated from non-teachers on variables such as job lock-in, prospects for advancement, and initial commitment to teaching, as well as job and life satisfaction. The article presents implications of these findings for teacher incentive systems and the organizational structure of schools. © 1984 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.