Abstract:
The purposes of this research were 1) to study a level of morale of teachers in educational opportunity expansion schools, 2) to develop a causal model of morale of teachers in educational opportunity expansion schools, and 3) to examine the consistency between the developed a causal model and empirical data. The research sample was 750 teachers in educational opportunity expansion schools under the office of the basic education commission. Data consisted of 7 latent variables: individual characteristic factor, administration characteristic factor, relationship among teachers factor, internal school climate factor, external school surrounding factor, teachers attitude toward working factor and teachers morale; 31 observed variables measuring those 7 latent variables. Data were collected by questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Pearsons product moment correlation coefficient were analyzed by SPSS, whereas path analysis were implemented using LISREL 8.72. The major findings were as follows : 1. As a whole, the morale of teachers in educational opportunity expansion schools was in the high level. Considering each aspect of teachers morale, teachers morale in owner accompany with school aspect is in the highest level. Teachers morale in willing to follow the school rules,aspect is moderate level. The comparisons of teachers morale considering teachers demographic data and geographical region were as follow: 1.1 The comparison of teachers morale considering gender, age, educational background, position, salary, and work experience revealed that teachers morale was statistically significant different only in gender. Female teachers morale was statistically significant higher than male teachers morale at .01 level. 1.2 The comparison of teachers morale considering geographical region revealed that teachers morale was statistically significant different among different geographical region at .01 level. Morale of teacher in the southern region was statistically significant higher than those in the middle and the north eastern region at .05 level. 2. According to the developed model, it had found that the teachers attitude toward working factor had the highest direct effect on the teachers morale, followed by the relationship among teachers factor. In addition administration characteristic factor had the highest total effect and indirect effect on teachers morale, through the relationship among teachers factor, internal school climate factor, and teachers attitude toward working factor, followed by internal school climate factor and external school surrounding factor, which had indirect effect on teachers morale through teachers attitude toward working factor. 3. The causal model of morale of teachers in educational opportunity expansion schools was valid and fit to the empirical data with chi-square = 140.97, df = 177, p = 0.978, GFI= 0.984, AGFI=0.956 and RMR = 0.0105. The model could explain the variance in the morale of teachers in educational opportunity expansion schools for 86%.