Impact of School Start Times on US Teacher Satisfaction

Abstract

While scholars have investigated the impact of school start times on adolescent students, there is limited research on how school start times affect teachers. In addition, recent reports of declining teacher morale emphasize the need for further study on influences of teacher satisfaction. Using secondary analysis of data from the 2017–18 National Teachers and Principals Survey (NTPS), this study measured relationships between school start times and other characteristics of responding teachers (n = 44,319) and their schools. The results identified trends in school start times by school level and community density. In addition, a statistically significant positive relationship between school start time and teacher satisfaction was found, as well a statistically significant negative relationship between school end time and teacher satisfaction. These findings suggest a need for further research on the association between school schedules and teacher satisfaction, but other variables appear to have a stronger influence on teacher satisfaction, such as teacher engagement in professional development.