Exploring Teacher Job Satisfaction in Regular Basic Education: The Case of Peru

Abstract

Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the educational journey of children and adolescents. This article endeavours to examine whether teacher satisfaction in Peru has seen consistent improvement over time, influenced by various factors such as salary increments, enhancements in infrastructure and working conditions, as well as changes in teaching and learning methodologies. This inquiry stems from the significant increase in government budget allocation to the education sector since 2000, with a notable 546.2% rise in student expenditure at the secondary level. We proposed as research question: “How has job satisfaction been for regular basic education teachers in Peru?” To address this, a qualitative, descriptive, non-experimental approach was adopted, drawing upon data from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) and the Ministry of Education (MINEDU). We found that despite the increase in factors such as salary, budgetary allocation, and job stability within the public sector, teacher satisfaction has not seen the desired improvement. On the contrary, teachers express a sense of unrecognized contributions by their educational institutions.

Received: 20 March 2024 / Accepted: 1 November 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024