Examining Job Satisfaction Online Adjunct Instructors': A Phenomenological Study

The study of job satisfaction for professors in the work place has been prevalent in the research for decades (COACHE, 2007). As online education grows exponentially each year (Allen & Seaman, 2006), this aspect of professorial teaching is emerging as an increasingly critical factor. Many professors that teach in the online sector have taught or are currently teaching in a face-to-face setting as well (Preziosi & Gooden, 2003). Also, many of the professors teaching online courses in the higher education arena are being hired as adjunct instructors. There is a lack of literature dealing with the satisfaction of the educator in online teaching. Therefore, the goal of this study is to fill that gap pertaining to job satisfaction for online adjunct instructors. A phenomenological study using Herzberg‘s two factor theory was undertaken to examine the job satisfaction of a group of online adjunct instructors at a medium sized private university in the southeastern United States. Participants noted that they experienced issues with barriers in communication due to the lack of face-to-face interactions with students, found it more difficult to ensure student success, noted a lack of student readiness and it was difficult to form meaningful relationships with students online. Overall the participants noted that they would continue to teach online despite the overwhelming mention of job dissatifiers. The major conclusion of the findings yielded that flexibility was the number one reason that these participants taught online.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Studies

Year dc:date.available

2009

Author dc:creator

• Lapke, Shalyn

Contributors dc:contributor

• Gary Sarkozi

• adjunct job satisfaction
• online learning
• Education

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/33

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1032