Shifting the Gaze: Examining Contextual Factors Influencing Teacher Morale in Suburban Schools

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the sizable research on teacher morale, including related work on teacher motivation, job satisfaction, retention, and attrition, studies have largely focused on morale in urban contexts. It is often assumed that suburban schools employ and maintain teachers with higher morale, but these conclusions are largely unsubstantiated. We explore morale in demographically changing suburban schools and draw on a dynamic view of school contextual dimensions that include their situated, material, professional, and external contexts. Research Methods/Approach: To examine the influence of these dimensions on suburban teachers’ expression of morale, we analyzed 265 open-ended survey response items across 12 case schools within a suburban district. Findings: Findings show that teachers’ perceptions of morale were not explicitly tied to school enrollment and demographic change but reflect challenges within their work environment such as concerns with meeting students’ learning needs, organizational efficiency, and collegiality. Findings also confirm that school leadership and professional value and salary significantly influence notions of morale. Implications: By tracing the relationships between the microlevel everyday school practices and interactions and the macrolevel contexts of broader teacher policy and discourse, we offer a more nuanced lens for understanding the complexities of teacher morale in suburban schools undergoing demographic change.