Does Teacher Happiness Matter? The Effect of Teacher Job Satisfaction on Productivity

Abstract

Using data from the Schools and Staffing Survey, this study implements multiple estimation methods to determine the effect of teacher job satisfaction on the college enrollment rates. The findings indicate a positive relationship between the average level of teacher job satisfaction within a school and college enrollment rates. Teacher job satisfaction is inversely related to diversity in opinion regarding job attributes. Thus, the results suggest that reforms aimed at increasing teacher job satisfaction may improve student outcomes