Delving Deeper into Morale, Job Satisfaction and Motivation among Education Professionals

This article builds on what the author has, elsewhere, identified as a ‘fifth level of understanding or elucidation’ in relation to what influences three specific work-related attitudes; morale, job satisfaction and motivation. It picks up the ‘story so far’ of what researchinformed analyses reveal as morale-, job-satisfaction- and motivation-influencing factors.Taking this as a starting point, it applies a comparative analysis of findings from two studies using different categories of research subjects—schoolteachers and academics—to delve deeper into examining what, fundamentally, affects job-related attitudes among education professionals. In particular, the extent and nature of the influence of leadership on morale,job satisfaction and motivation are examined. Finally, implications of these findings for education leadership policy and practice are discussed.