Do School Counselors Matter? Mattering as a Moderator between Job Stress and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

The relationships of perceived mattering to others, job-related stress, and job satisfaction were examined for 388 elementary, middle, and high school counselors from across the United States. Participants completed the School Counselor Mattering Scale, the School Counselor Job-Stress Assessment, and several job satisfaction questions in order to assess perceptions of mattering to others at their schools and their job-related stress, and how these two constructs relate to school counselors’ overall job satisfaction. Mattering to others at work and job-related stress accounted for 35% of the variance in job satisfaction for the total sample of school counselors; however, mattering did not moderate the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction. Results revealed that elementary school counselors experienced the greatest job satisfaction and the lowest levels of job-related stress, and high school counselors experienced the greatest job dissatisfaction and the greatest levels of job-related stress. Implications for school counselors’ mattering and job satisfaction are considered.