Abstract
Statement of the problem. The job-role perceptions of middle school teachers need to be compared with the perceptions of middle school principals. Consistency between these perceptions is important for the smooth operation of schools. Without this knowledge of job-role perceptions differences in perceptions between teachers and principals may affect the goals of individuals and the organization. Related to job-role perception is job satisfaction which is directly influenced by an understanding of the organization and the parts played by the teachers and other employees. Description of the methodology. A survey was conducted of middle school teachers and middle school principals in three southern California county unified school districts using the Minnesota Job Description Questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic information about age, experience, and education. The instruments were scored as to the demographic groupings on job-role perception and job satisfaction. The findings. The overall response rate was 69% in the research population. Age, experience, and education showed no significant difference on job-role perception at 0.05 level of confidence. The Education variable showed a significant difference in job satisfaction. The Pillai Trace multivariate test was used to analyze the data. The job descriptors which principals perceived as very characteristic of middle school teachers' job-roles were very different from the characteristics perceived by the teachers themselves with only recognition and responsibility ranked the same. Conclusion and recommendation. It was concluded from the results of the study that age, experience, and education had no significant influence on job-role perception of middle school teachers. The education variable had the most effect on job satisfaction of middle school teachers. Principals and teachers perceive their job-roles very differently when tested with the MJDQ. It was recommended that further studies be conducted in other middle schools in those unified school districts to further understand job satisfaction. Recommendations were made to bring a better understanding of job-roles of middle school teachers and principals. Middle school teachers' perceptions of their job satisfaction should be studied in contrast with their supervisors' perceptions of the teachers' job satisfaction perceptions.