The purpose of the study was to examine francophone high school teachers' motivation and to test the Job Characteristics Model, a model of factors that affect the satisfaction and motivation of workers, to determine its possible utility as a diagnostic tool in the field of education. The study is based on a sample of 136 high school teachers from a francophone high school. The data collection instrument used in this study was the Job Diagnostic Survey developed by Hackman and Oldham (1980). The findings revealed that the Job Characteristics Model and the JDS instrument have some utility in the field of education. Proposed relationships between job characteristics and psychological states, between psychological states and motivation and satisfaction outcomes were found to exist. Psychological states appeared to mediate between job characteristics and outcomes. Among core job characteristics, task significance was the most important motivating factor for teachers followed by autonomy, skill variety, task identity, feedback from the job and feedback from agents. Among the critical psychological states, the most motivating factor is experienced meaningfulness of the work followed by experienced responsibility and, lastly, knowledge of the results. For the outcomes, internal work motivation was the best motivator followed by growth satisfaction and general satisfaction. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Barnabe, Clermont (Supervisor)