Low Job Satisfaction as A Lived Experience for Experienced Middle School Teachers in Rural Tennessee: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences rural experienced middle school teachers in Tennessee with low job satisfaction. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (EST) theoretical framework guiding study. EST is composed five environmental systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. This included participation from 10 5 or more years teaching experience who demonstrated satisfaction according results a questionnaire given prior conducting central research question was, what are teachers’ perceptions as Tennessee? four sub questions were designed investigate how teacher workload, collegial experience, administrative leadership support, student behavior impact Data for collected through individual interviews, an online focus group interview, reflective journal, produced major themes: (a) unrealistic expectations, (b) environment, (c) students, (d) challenges. findings revealed participants’ perceived administrators policy makers had expectations on their due being disconnected teachers. also indicated environment at level challenging they dealt basic needs students before educating them. Participants expressed that support vital profession loved but negative about challenges often encounter job.