Job satisfaction, occupational stress and self-efficacy of Greek mainstream and special school education teachers

This study examines the specific sources of job satisfaction and occupational stress in Greek special and mainstream school teachers, testing the role of self-efficacy as mediating variable between stress and job satisfaction. The sample consisted of 498 teachers employed in special and mainstream primary schools mainly in Athens. The Job Satisfaction Scale, the Occupational Stress Scale for teachers and the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale were administered to the participants. While special education teachers reported lower job satisfaction levels that they attributed to working hours and work flexibility, teachers working in mainstream schools attributed their lower job satisfaction to administrative factors and balanced relationships with colleagues. Administration and favoritism, resources and equipment, and social support from parents were significant predictors for both mainstream and special education teachers’ job satisfaction, while time pressure and pupils’ behavior significantly predicted special education teachers’ job satisfaction. Teachers’ self-efficacy did not mediate the relationship between teachers’ stress and job satisfaction for any of the groups. This study sheds light on the differences between special education and mainstream school teachers’ sources of job satisfaction. The importance of external rather than internal sources of job satisfaction for these two groups may imply that a greater focus needs to be placed on organizational changes in order to establish employee-friendly workplaces with reduced stress and increased job satisfaction.