Running head: DISSEMINATION PLAN

Rural School Characteristics and Teacher Satisfaction Dissemination Plan by Ashley Wood 200206357 P.O. Box 672 St. Anthony, NL A0K 4S0

A paper submitted to the Faculty of Education in conformity with the requirements for Ed 6390

Memorial University of Newfoundland St. Johns, NL, Canada April 2, 2014

DISSEMINATION PLAN As a teacher who has taught in a rural school setting for the entirety of her short career, I wanted my research and analysis on teacher satisfaction in rural schools to be easily accessible for a large audience, including the teachers who currently work with me in a rural community. I

teach in a brand new K-12 school in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, which has just recently opened after the closure of three smaller schools from surrounding communities. This newly consolidated school consists of approximately 35 teaching staff members and two full time administrators. For my dissemination plan, I have created a website which I will present to my colleagues during one of our regularly scheduled staff meetings. This website will also be published online and will be accessible to anyone wishing to find out more on rural education and teacher satisfaction. My website will also be linked to my school webpage, which will help ensure its availability for the educational personnel who are a part of my staff. I chose create a website which could be accessed by the general public and presented to the teachers in my school because understanding what teacher satisfaction is and why its important is a key step in promoting and maintaining a positive work environment. Since one of the most valuable resources of rural schools are the teaching staff who work there (Huysman, 2008), it is important to help promote work conditions which foster contentment by identifying the specific factors which can affect job perceptions. In order to keep educators motivated and committed to their work, understanding what causes higher levels of job satisfaction can help promote feelings of empowerment, professionalism, and contentment. This can lead to positive gains both in and out of the classroom. Understanding teacher satisfaction can also help determine why rural schools experience high turnover rates, or why educators leave the profession altogether (Ma & MacMillan, 1999). If we can explore the factors which encourage stress and dissatisfaction, we may be able to identify proactive methods which will attract

DISSEMINATION PLAN teachers to live and work in rural schools. Since I currently work in a rural institution, I have a

personal investment in the community in which I live and the school where I teach. I want to see qualified teachers come to our school with a long-term commitment towards improving the educational experience of the youth in our community. According to Fuming and Jiliang (2007), exploring job satisfaction helps us gain an understanding of a teachers attitude and enthusiasm towards work, which directly affects the quality of teaching and education for students. As a primary and elementary teacher, one of my ultimate goals is to provide a valuable educational experience for the students in my class. Becoming knowledgeable towards the factors which may help or hinder this goal is something I take a large interest in. Helping my students achieve success in a positive environment is a major undertaking, which is one of the main reasons why I chose to bring together key information on teacher satisfaction in rural schools and make it available to the general public and the staff that I work with. Coming together with colleagues to recognize common goals and identifying ways to achieve them can help set the tone for establishing a work environment where teachers are respected and students are valued. If I can start the discussion on promoting positivity in the workplace, or if I can provide someone else with the tools and background information necessary to start a conversation in a different school, then I feel I am one step closer to achieving these goals. My dissemination plan consists of a website that I have created, which will contain a link where people can view a copy of my critical analysis on teacher satisfaction in rural schools. This website will also contain a link to a PowerPoint presentation I have created on the key points contained within my analysis, which can be viewed and downloaded by anyone wanting to obtain an overview on the relevant research. There is also a link on my webpage to other

DISSEMINATION PLAN suggested websites which may be useful in helping educators improve their current workplace satisfaction levels. Other links inform the audience of various key aspects of rural education which can influence job satisfaction in some way. I chose to complete a website to share my research with others because I wanted the results of my analysis to be readily available for a wide range of people. Although I will

specifically be presenting my site to the teachers on my staff, creating a website and publishing it online will allow anyone who is interested to find out more about unique rural school circumstances and how they relate to teacher satisfaction. Shortly after accepting my first teaching position in a rural school in Newfoundland, I had no idea what to expect as I grew up in a more urban location attending very large schools as a student. I tried to find more information online as to what conditions or circumstances I may have to face, but found very little relevant information. With my website, Im hoping that anyone who is interested in or is already teaching in a rural area will be able to locate and use the relevant information I have analysed on teacher satisfaction in these unique schools.

DISSEMINATION PLAN References

Fuming, X., & Jiliang, S. (2008). Research on job satisfaction of elementary and high school teachers and strategies to increase job satisfaction. Chinese Education and Society 40(5), 86-96. doi: 10.2753/CED 1061-1932400509

Huysman, J. T. (2008). Rural teacher satisfaction: An analysis of beliefs and attitudes of rural teachers' job satisfaction. Rural Educator, 29(2), 31-38. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.

Ma, X., & MacMillan, R. B. (1999). Influences of workplace conditions on teachers' job satisfaction. Journal of Educational Research, 93(1), 39-47. doi:10.1080/00220679909597627