Relationships between selected variables and teacher-initiated leave during the 1987-88 school year in Newfoundland

• Main Author: McGrath, Samuel
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1989
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/5153/; https://research.library.mun.ca/5153/1/McGrath_Samuel.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/5153/3/McGrath_Samuel.pdf

There were two major purposes to this study. The first was to determine how much teacher-initiated leave was taken by regular (full-time) classroom teachers in Newfoundland during the 1987-88 school year. The second was to examine the relationship between the amount of leave taken and a selection of personal traits and situational factors. The dependent variable was leave use. The independent variables included age, sex, marital status, level of education, teaching experience, health, accumulated sick leave, sick leave as an entitlement, experience in present school, school size, place of residence, distance to work, coverage by substitute teachers, internal coverage by other staff, urban/rural community, geographical region, and school board. -- There were two primary sources of data; information from the Department of Education and information from a sample survey of teachers in the province. Study groups included all full-time regular classroom teachers who were employed by the 35 school boards during 1987-88, and a sub-sample of teachers from the Avalon Peninsula region. Statistical procedures of one-way analysis of variance and linear multiple regression were utilized in the analyses of data. Leave use was measured in annual mean days, incidence rates, and leave rates. Specific findings were recorded for both the study sample and the study population. -- Most of the personal and situational variables of the study have been examined in varying degrees in the literature. Findings from the literature tended not to support personal factors as being good predictors of teacher absenteeism. Situational factors were generally examined in fewer studies and while some variables were associated with higher absences, there is insufficient data on which to make firm conclusions. The findings of this study generally reflected the literature in terms of relationships between personal and situational factors and leave use. -- Findings related to the first purpose of the study, namely the extent of leave use throughout the ...