The Impact of Demographic Factors and Job Satisfaction among Non-academic Staff of Government Schools in Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The academic and non-academic personnel are the primary stakeholders in the achievement of success in educational institutions. The level of attention given to non-academic staff in Sri Lankan government schools is relatively low, resulting in a reduced emphasis on their satisfaction. The significance of having a content and dedicated non-academic staff cannot be overstated, as it greatly impacts the overall administration and academic performance of educational institutions. The aim of this study is to ascertain the impact of demographic variables and job satisfaction on non-academic personnel in government schools located in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka. The research was carried out through a survey methodology utilizing a self-administered questionnaire. This study utilized a convenience sample consisting of 370 non-academic staff members from 40 government schools located in the Colombo district. The mean value for job satisfaction, as measured on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, is 2.3763, with a corresponding standard deviation of 0.3226. The school administration should prioritize their attention towards promotion and communication, as these areas have been reported to have the lowest level of satisfaction among stakeholders. The work's nature, as indicated by a mean score of 4.2081, is associated with the highest level of job satisfaction among non-academic staff in schools. This finding suggests that these staff members generally hold positive attitudes towards their work tasks. A notable dissimilarity exists between the degree of contentment expressed by male and female non-academic personnel regarding their satisfaction with the nature of their work. The data indicates that male non-academic staff members exhibit a higher level of dissatisfaction with their pay (mean=2.0803; standard deviation=0.1917) in comparison to their female counterparts (mean=3.1875; standard deviation=0.1922). In a similar vein, it can be observed that male personnel exhibit a higher level of discontentment with regards to their supervision, as evidenced by a mean score of 2.3289 and a standard deviation of 0.4357. The data indicates that there is a negative correlation between overall job satisfaction and certain demographic factors, specifically gender (-0.056), marital status (-0.014), level of education (- 0.072), and service category (-0.532).