The Social Gap among Teacher Groups : An Analysis of Teachers’ Feelings of Recognition from Colleagues in the Workplace

キョウイン　セカイ　ニ　オケル　カクサ　ショクバ　ニ　オケル　ショウニンカン　ニ　チャクモク　シテ

ナカムラ, アキヒト

Nakamura, Akihito

オオサカ ダイガク ダイガクイン ニンゲン カガク ケンキュウカ キョウイクガクケイ

Department of Education, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University

This paper examines the social gap and inequality among teachers, focusing on their recognition in the workplace. Through analyzing the data of a questionnaire survey administered to junior high school teachers, the gaps of recognition from other colleagues were analyzed, and the following findings were obtained. First, we checked the responses of teachers’ recognition and the function of the recognition, and the data showed that about 30% of the teachers do not feel recognized in the workplace. On the other hand, the sense of workplace recognition was strongly associated with intrinsic job satisfaction. This means that the recognition has a function to support the endogenous rewarding of teachers. Second, examining the factors of workplace recognition, we found that three factors – gender, status of job, and the number of years working in the school – determine the level of workplace recognition. Concretely, female teachers’ recognition feeling was lower than male teachers, and the non-regular faculty teachers’ recognition feeling was higher than the general faculty teachers. Finally, the teachers who have worked in the school for one year had a feeling of recognition more than the teachers who have worked in the school for over five years. Third, examining why female teachers’ recognition feeling was lower than male teachers, it was confirmed that the age has different effects on teachers’ recognitions by gender. Finally, we discussed the social gap among teachers and the background of why female teachers have been marginalized. In addition, we also pointed out the significance to critically analyze the workplace condition and the social gap in the teaching profession that could affect the job satisfaction, teaching practice, competence formation, and career of teachers.