The Effect of School Climate on Teacher Satisfaction: Context of Perceptions and Peer Influence

Research on school context looks at school climate and workplace relations as related yet separate factors of teacher job satisfaction. In this paper, I look at the relationship between climate and peers, arguing that the effect of climate is conditional on group context. Using data from the School and Staffing Survey, I find that group perceptions of school climate as well as individual perceptions predict teacher satisfaction. Thus, two individuals with the same perceptions of school climate can express different levels of job satisfaction depending on their peers’ perception of the climate. These findings suggest that the relationship between climate and peers is complex and should be studied together when looking at teacher outcomes like job satisfaction.