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272 chapter 7: school contexts
percentage of students at the high level increased since 2001 included Iceland,
Italy, and Morocco. Decreased percentages were found in Norway, Romania,
Hungary, Moldova, and the Canadian province of Quebec. On average,
students at the high level of the index had higher reading achievement than
those at the medium level (513 vs. 493 points).
Exhibit 7.13 presents the results for the PIRLS Index of Teacher Career
Satisfaction. Having teachers who are satisfied with their careers as
teachers may be an important aspect of the school’s climate for learning.
The PIRLS 2006 Index of Teacher Career Satisfaction combined teachers’
responses to five questions about being a teacher:
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I am content with my profession as a teacher.
I am satisfied with being a teacher at this school.
I would describe the teachers at this school as a satisfied group.
I had more enthusiasm when I began teaching than I have now.
(reverse coded)
I do important work as a teacher.
Teachers’ responses were averaged on a 4-point scale, as follows:
disagree a lot = 1, disagree a little = 2, agree a little = 3, and agree a lot = 4.
Students whose teacher’s average was greater than 3 (i.e., they agreed either
a little or a lot with all five statements) were assigned to the high level of the
index, students with a teacher averaging 2 or more but less than 3 were at
the medium level, and students with a teacher averaging less than 2 were
assigned to the low level of the index.