A National Study of Work Characterisitcs and Work-Family Conflict among Secondary Agricultural Educators

Abstract

Data from a random sample of secondary school agriculture teachers in the United States were utilized to explore work characteristics and their relationship to work-family conflict, specifically how the work role interfered with the family role. Nine workplace characteristics (i.e., salary, work hours per work week, weekend work hours, years of teaching experience, number of agriculture teachers within the school, school community type, number of students per class, work salience, and perceived family-supportive work culture) were explored by gender. Two of the workplace characteristics, years of teaching experience and salary, were significantly different for male and female agriculture teachers. An analysis was conducted of the relationship between identified workplace characteristics and teachers’ perceptions of their work role interfering with their family role. In total, the workplace variables accounted for 22% of the variance in teachers’ perceptions of work interfering with their family. Four of the workplace variables (i.e., perceived family- supportive work culture, number of agriculture teachers per school, work salience, and work hours per work week) were statistically significant predictors of work interfering with family. Recommendations and implications for the agriculture teaching profession are discussed in light on these findings.