Abstract
Purpose. The first purpose of this exploratory study was to describe the impact, if any, that structure, role, and opportunities for professional development have on teacher satisfaction, motivation, and commitment to work in selected Edison schools in California. A second purpose was to describe in what way, if any, teachers perceive that the elements of structure, differentiated role, and professional development included in the design of Edison School, Inc. lead to improved student achievement over time. Methodology. A survey was used to collect data for this descriptive research study. The sample included 144 teachers; 64 percent returned surveys. Descriptive data included the mean, median, mode, and standard deviation. Quantitative analysis included one-way analysis of variance, Tukey's pairwise comparison, t-tests and chi-square to compare responses between variables and groups. Qualitative methods were used to analyze write-in data from the survey. Findings. Teachers in selected California Edison schools perceived the opportunity to: work collaboratively, receive promotions and increased pay, participate in ongoing professional development, and foster improved student achievement over time motivating and satisfying. However, the extended school day and year required in the Edison design were not personally satisfying and motivating to teachers. Teachers' responses on the survey did not vary significantly based on differentiated role, but did differ based on years of teaching in an Edison school. New teachers were less satisfied with many aspects of the Edison design than teachers who had been at an Edison school for three or four years. More than a quarter of the teachers in this sample have moved up the Edison career ladder. Conclusions. First, expended time necessary for teacher collaboration and student time on task are effective but decrease teacher satisfaction and motivation and lead some teachers to consider leaving Edison schools. Second, opportunities for higher salaries and promotion recognize and reward teacher contributions and motivate some teachers to continue at an Edison school. Recommendation. That this exploratory study be replicated with a larger sample of Edison teachers nationwide to see if the findings are similar.