Job satisfaction of teaching faculty in state agricultural universities of Rajasthan

Introduction

National progression is an intricate idea that involves growth of a country in all spheres, including political, social, economic, environmental, cultural and technological domains. Education stands out as a crucial component in this blend, acting as a strong and primary driver of progress. The education system is inextricably linked to a country's success and a robust education system promotes human development, strengthens society, and boosts the economy. At its core are dedicated and competent teachers, who along with imparting knowledge, also work towards shaping the young minds, nurturing talents and inculcating morals. Specifically in universities and colleges, they play a vital role in the development of both individuals and communities. The quality of higher education relies highly on how much supported and committed the teachers feel. Universities and colleges need to make sure that their framework and mandates harmonize with what students and faculties want (Palamarchuk, 2015) [9] . Teaching is a challenging occupation that affects both work and personal life. Work is a major part of an individual's life because it provides the money required to meet basic needs like food, clothes and shelter. According to Maslow's theory (1954) [5] , the basic needs of a human must be fulfilled before focusing on higher level needs like safety and security. A job provides financial security and stability in life. Job satisfaction holds an important place in the lives of the people working in the field of education as it develops their motivation, commitment, and efficiency at the workplace. This also helps them to achieve a sense of accomplishment in their field. Job satisfaction is a blend of mental, physical, and surrounding factors that make people feel satisfactory about the work they do (Hoppock, 1935) [3] . When teaching faculty are delighted with their profession, they're more motivated, energetic and productive. When the needs and expectations of an employee from their job align with what they get such as rewards, recognition and opportunities, they experience a sense of fulfillment. It exhibits that they're happy with their work, leaders, and workplace. Therefore, when teachers feel contented with their jobs, it uplifts the whole institution. Very few studies have been conducted to probe the job satisfaction of teachers in State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) of Rajasthan. Based on the need, this study is attempted to investigate the job satisfaction of teachers working in five SAUs of Rajasthan.

Methodology

The objective of the current study was to assess the job satisfaction as per personal and job-related variables of teaching faculty working in five SAUs of Rajasthan state namely Agriculture University (AU), Jodhpur; Agriculture University (AU), Kota; Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology (MPUAT), Udaipur; Sri Karan www.extensionjournal.com Narendra Agriculture University (SKNAU), Jobner; and Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University (SKRAU), Bikaner. The respondents for this study were the teaching faculty-specifically Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors-working in the constituent colleges of five State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) in Rajasthan. A sample of one hundred and fifty teachers was selected for the study by using purposive and random sampling techniques. The distribution of teaching faculty sampled for the study across the five SAU is detailed below: After identifying the final sample and taking their consent, the data was collected by distributing the questionnaires. In this study, personal variables and job-related variables were taken as independent variables whereas job satisfaction was chosen as the dependent variable. A questionnaire on general information (personal and job-related questions) was prepared and used. Questions related to personal details included age, gender, marital status, spouse's employment, and family type. The job-related questions comprised details about designation, work experience, and annual salary of the teaching faculty. 'Job Satisfaction Scale' developed by Fazely (2016) [1] was used to assess the job satisfaction level of the teaching faculty. This scale contains 25 items/statements on a 5-point scale: 'very much satisfied', 'satisfied', 'partially satisfied', 'dissatisfied' and 'very much dissatisfied'. For each item/statement, a score was given: 5 for very much satisfied, 4 for satisfied, 3 for partially satisfied, 2 for dissatisfied and 1 for very much dissatisfied. A respondent's satisfaction score was calculated by adding their scores on all items/statements. The satisfaction score on this scale ranges between 25 and 125. A higher score on the scale implies that the respondents are more satisfied with their jobs, and therefore divided into three categories: low, medium, and high.

Results and Discussion Obj 1. Job Satisfaction among teaching faculty

The job satisfaction of teaching faculty has been portrayed in Table 1. Majority of the respondents (61.3 percent) expressed high levels of job satisfaction, followed by 20.7 percent and 18 percent of teaching faculty having medium and low level of job satisfaction respectively. As per designation, out of all the assistant professors, 69.6% reported high job satisfaction, whereas 12.5% and 17.9% reported medium and low job satisfaction, respectively. More than half of the associate professors had high levels of job satisfaction, with medium and low levels coming in second and third. Nearly half (51 percent) of the professors expressed high job satisfaction, followed by medium (28.6 percent) and low (18 percent) levels of satisfaction. www.extensionjournal.com Related findings were reported by Noida (2015) [8] , signifying that most faculty members were satisfied with their job. Holeyannavar & Khadi (2014) [2] investigated the interrelationship between marital and job satisfaction among 165 university teachers. Their findings also found that majority teachers were highly satisfied with their job, followed by average levels. Effective teaching and engagement in work-related activities is most likely observed in the satisfied faculties. High job satisfaction of teachers can pave path towards better classroom environments and enhance student learning outcome. The understanding of these satisfaction levels can benefit the institutions in taking steps towards creating a supportive and cooperative workplace for the faculty. These results can be helpful to develop initiatives that further refine faculty selfesteem and efficacy. Thus, it will lead to a more stimulating, optimistic and harmonious work environment for all teaching staff.

Obj 2. Job satisfaction among teaching faculty as per personal variables

Table 2 shows that regarding age, there were highly significant differences in the job satisfaction of teaching faculty members (F=9.57**, P≤0.01). Further, the mean score depicted that faculty members under 40 years of age were more satisfied with their job than those between 41 and 50 years and those over 50 years (M=110.53, 98.04, and 97.31, respectively). According to the results, there is a direct connection between faculty members age and job satisfaction. There were no significant differences in the job satisfaction level among teaching faculty members based on gender. This indicates that variables other than gender might be playing a greater role in influencing the job satisfaction of the teachers. Similar findings were stated in the research conducted by Jayasingh et al. (2022) [4] that university teachers job satisfaction was significantly associated with age and non-significantly associated with gender. Furthermore, the study carried out by Mehta (2012) [6] also found that job satisfaction levels of male and their counterparts did not significantly differ. Faculty members may be more satisfied if they look at factors like workload management, professional development opportunities, or career promotion options in addition to having an optimistic outlook. The institutions can develop strategies by understanding these elements which can help in improving the job satisfaction ratio of their faculty members of different age group.

Obj 3. Job satisfaction among teaching faculty as per job-related variables

Table 3 depicts that there were significant differences in teaching faculty's job satisfaction with reference to two jobrelated variables: designation (F=5.84*, P≤0.05) and job experience (F=5.85*, P≤0.05). Assistant professors had higher job satisfaction mean scores than associate professors and professors, specifying that the former had a higher degree of job satisfaction. Likewise, teaching faculty with www.extensionjournal.com less than 10 years of experience had higher mean scores than those with 10 to 20 years and more than 20 years, indicating that the former were more satisfied with their job. These findings imply that faculty members who are assistant professors and had less job experience had greater levels of satisfaction with their work whereas associate professors and professors were not highly satisfied. It is important to comprehend the rationale behind improving job satisfaction for all the faculty members. According to Shrestha (2019) [10] , overall job satisfaction of the faculty members was significantly influenced by their designation and service years. Soni et al. (2017) [11] reported that job satisfaction is reliant on work experience and there exists a relationship between both. Muntazeri & Indrayanto (2018) [7] found that job satisfaction is positive and significantly influenced by work experience. At various stages in the teaching career, a faculty needs to explore potential factors like anticipated tasks, mentorship prospects and professional growth. It is important to comprehend the rationale behind improving job satisfaction for all the faculty members.

Major Findings  High level of job satisfaction was found among majority of the teaching faculty. This demonstrates that they were highly satisfied with their job.  In accordance with age, highly significant differences were found in job satisfaction of the teaching faculty.

The mean scores suggest that teaching faculty below the age of 40 years had high level of job satisfaction in comparison to other age groups.  With respect to gender, non-significant difference was found in job satisfaction of teaching faculty.  Regarding designation, significant differences were obtained in job satisfaction of the teaching faculty. The mean scores exhibited that in comparison with associate professors and professors, assistant professors had high level of job satisfaction.  As per job experience, significant differences were found out in job satisfaction level of the teaching faculty. The mean scores indicated that faculty having job experience less than 10 years were more satisfied in comparison to those having higher job experience.

Conclusion

Teachers play a crucial role in nurturing the coming generation. They not only act as mentors and facilitators of learning and shaping young minds but also prepare them to succeed in a complex and ever-evolving world. It is supremely important to ensure that the teachers of an institution feel satisfied with their job since this determines both their well-being and the quality of education they deliver. In the findings of the present study, the majority of the respondents expressed a high level of job satisfaction.

Satisfied teachers are able to teach passionately and enthusiastically, they are able to contribute fully towards their job. This promotes a more productive and collaborative work environment within the institution, encouraging better communication and teamwork among faculty members.

References

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