Differences in levels of optimism and job satisfaction between mainstream educators and special educators

Abstract

Optimism and job satisfaction play an important role for educators and for almost any working professional. This research aims to investigate whether there is a difference in levels of optimism and job satisfaction between mainstream and special educators. The primary data was collected from 49 educators, including 32 mainstream educators and 17 special educators, from different educational institutions in India. Levene’s test was used to test equal variances between the two data sets. Independent samples t-test was used to test the difference between levels of optimism and job satisfaction between the two types of educators. The results from the Levene’s test and the t-test found that there was no significant difference in levels of optimism and job satisfaction between mainstream and special educators. However, Levene's test showed that certain variables in the JSS with respect to work friends, supervisor competence and interest in subordinates, workplace bureaucracy, and attitude towards the worth of the job itself had a significant difference between both types of educators. Nevertheless, most of these significant differences had a positive implication for special educators in relation to job satisfaction. The practical application of this study aims to identify this difference and help educational institutions improve the specific variables that indicate lower job satisfaction for special educators, as part of positive psychology. This may therefore improve the quality of service provided to special-needs children.