| This study examined the expectations and perceptions of teacher morale in St. Louis Public Schools. Teacher morale is a critical concern of administrators, and has a tremendous influence on the educational and instructional process within a school.;The methodology used was a descriptive research approach, and data was collected through the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire. Using the Likert scale, teachers were asked to respond to the questionnaire which consisted of one hundred items about their attitudes and beliefs.;The results of this study indicated that the morale level in the St. Louis Public Schools was at the medium range. The findings indicated salaries paid in this school system did not compare favorably with surrounding school districts. On the other hand, findings indicated teaching gave teachers a great deal of personal satisfaction.;One implication of the study suggested that traditionally, teacher compensation had been viewed in isolation from other components of organizational reform. The intellectual and practical separation of teacher compensation from other aspects of schools as organizations had resulted in a lack of attention to the important relationships between the design of schools and the design of teacher compensation systems.;To sum up, this study suggested that many national, state, and local policies designed to increase teachers' job performance may be insufficient. To give just one example, the current movement of systemic reform and teacher professionalism emphasized the upgrading of accountability through more standardized curriculum and testing. The study did not contest the importance of these factors, but it pointed to the need to include emphasis on the local development of schools as healthy professionally sustaining environments. |
