JOB SATISFACTION OF TEACHERS AS INFLUENCED BY PUBLIC LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT: A CONVERGENT DESIGN

This mixed methods study employs a convergent design to explore the job satisfaction of public elementary school teachers in Region XI by examining the influence of public leadership behaviors and psychological empowerment. Quantitative data were collected from 300 teachers across 20 public elementary schools using the Public Leadership Behaviors Questionnaire, the Psychological Empowerment Scale, and the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JS-Q). The quantitative analysis utilized mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression. The results revealed that public leadership and psychological empowerment significantly predict job satisfaction, F(2, 296) = 115.33, p < .05. Additionally, qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews (IDI) with 10 teachers and focus group discussions (FGD) with 7 teachers. Qualitative thematic analysis highlighted the participants’ experiences, the impact of grouping variables, and the influence of these experiences on their beliefs and attitudes. The joint display of findings from both approaches indicated a convergence of data, emphasizing the role of public leadership and psychological empowerment in enhancing job satisfaction. Based on these results, a series of recommendations was formulated and proposed to further improve teacher job satisfaction. KEYWORDS: Education, public leadership behaviors, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction of teachers, convergent design, Philippines