Dissertation Defense Announcement

The College of Education announces the final dissertation defense of

Lou Flowers Martin

for the degree of Doctor of Education

March 30, 2016 at 1:00 pm in 123J Ball Hall

Major Advisor: Charisse Gulosino, PhD

The Relationship between Personal Wellness (Mind, Body, Spirit) and Job Satisfaction among Independent School Educators in One Mid-South Region

ABSTRACT:
This study researched the relationship between personal wellness (mind, body, and spirit) and job satisfaction among a sample of 71 elementary, middle, and high school teachers. The investigation took place among four faith-based-associated schools and four secular independent schools in a Mid-south region. A two-part research based questionnaire was administered to randomly selected teachers in the eight schools. Correlations of wellness dimensions of body, mind, and spirit were examined and analyzed using a mixed ANOVA. Results indicated that all teachers, despite the difference in school type, felt highly satisfied with their jobs. Teachers reported very high levels of mental health, moderate to high levels of spiritual health, and relatively lower levels of physical health. A difference in the wellness profiles for the two groups was observed, with spiritual wellness receiving higher self-assessed scores among respondents at faith-based schools in comparison to those at secular schools. Respondents at both types of schools appeared to be highly satisfied with their jobs, such that there was no difference in level of satisfaction by type of school. There was also no observed relationship between self-assessed wellness (mind, body, or spirit) and job satisfaction. This research concluded that dimensions of personal wellness vary between types of institutions.