⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



Investigating the Correlation Between Personality Traits and Teacher Satisfaction of Selected Teachers at Sharjah American International School, Sharjah Campus


Authors : Sarah Morsi Alsayed; Dr. Shatha Melies

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/38jpzsp3

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/jzbb5wwd

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26May1424

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : Factors influencing teacher satisfaction must be recognized (Sharma & Jyoti, 2006, p. 349), yet limited research in Sharjah has explored correlations between teacher satisfaction and the Big Five personality traits. In a sample of 26 middle to high school teachers at Sharjah American International School, Sharjah, this study examined those correlations. The average Big Five profile of the sample and patterns among their demographics, satisfaction, and traits were also identified. Moreover, Likert surveys were used: the 50-item IPIP Big Five scale and a teacher satisfaction survey (α = 0.87), and demographics were also assessed. A quantitative approach was adopted: Big Five traits were computed, Pearson correlation coefficients calculated, and trait-based grouping analysis found patterns. Conscientiousness was the highest Big Five trait in the sample (M = 4.19, Mdn = 4.10, SD = 0.53) and the strongest correlate of satisfaction (r = 0.43, p<.05). These findings indicate that organizational skills should be encouraged to enhance satisfaction. Other findings are that English Language and Literature teachers and those in their thirties were dominant in openness to experience, reflecting how younger teachers, as well as English teachers, are more inclined toward unconventional themes. Schools are recommended to foster organization and study teacher demographics to better decide placement of teachers. Further research is advised to explore how Big Five traits relate to demographic features.

Keywords : Big Five, Satisfaction, Teachers, School, Personality, Conscientiousness.

References :

  1. Adams, D., Bellibaş, M. Ş., Muniandy, V., & Pietsch, M. (2025). The role of openness to experience in innovating teaching and instruction through leader-member exchange and teacher creativity. Thinking Skills and Creativity57, 101834.
  2. Alkholy, A. (2023). The Big Five and Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy among Student Teachers. Information Sciences Letters.
  3. Alkhyeli, H. E., & Ewijk, A. V. (2018). Prioritisation of factors influencing teachers' job satisfaction in the UAE. International Journal of Management in Education12(1), 1-24.
  4. Almutairi, J. H., & Ahmed, A. T. (2022). The relationship between the big five personality traits and job satisfaction with virtual teaching among teachers of students with learning difficulties. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 265. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1586_21
  5. Al-Qirim, N., Yammahi, A. R., & Yammahi, M. A. (2015, June). A stocktake of the big five personality traits of UAE university students. In ICEL2015-10th International Conference on e-Learning: ICEL 2015 (p. 1). Academic Conferences and publishing limited.
  6. Amoako, B. M. (2024). Personality Traits as a Predictor of Job Satisfaction among Student-Teachers in Ghana. Creative Education, 15(05), 726–738.
  7. Andi, H. K. (2012). Relationships between emotional intelligence and the big five in youths. Malaysian Journal of Youth Studies7, 125-135.
  8. Ayan, S., & Kocacik, F. (2010). The relation between the level of job satisfaction and types of personality in high school teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Online), 35(1), 27–41. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.850549055163259
  9. Basu, S., & Banerjee, D. (2024). Exploring the role of Big Five personality traits on teachers’ job satisfaction. International Journal of Research Culture Society, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.2017/IJRCS/202403024
  10. Boustani, M. M. (2006). The associations of universal value types with the Big 5 personality traits and individualism-collectivism in Lebanon and the United States. Villanova University.
  11. Buckner, E. (2017). The status of teaching and teacher professional satisfaction in the United Arab Emirates. Al Qasimi Foundation.
  12. Cuijpers, P., Smit, F., Penninx, B. W., de Graaf, R., ten Have, M., & Beekman, A. T. (2010). Economic costs of neuroticism: a population-based study. Archives of general psychiatry67(10), 1086–1093. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.130
  13. Demirtas, Z. (2010). Teachers’ job satisfaction levels. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences9, 1069-1073.
  14. Donnellan, M. B., & Lucas, R. E. (2008). Age differences in the Big Five across the life span: evidence from two national samples. Psychology and aging23(3), 558–566. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012897
  15. Ehigie, R. I., Osokoya, M. M., & Ehigie, B. O. (2017). Psycho-Demographic predictors of job satisfaction among Nigerian teachers. Journal of Global Research in Education and Social Science10(3), 128-138.
  16. Eryilmaz, N., Kennedy, A. I., Strietholt, R., & Johansson, S. (2025b). Teacher job satisfaction: International evidence on the role of school working conditions and teacher characteristics. Studies in Educational Evaluation86, 101474.
  17. Eryilmaz, N., Kennedy, A., Strietholt, R., Johansson, S., Bäckström, P., & Henry, M. (2025a). Teacher Job Satisfaction: International Evidence on the Associations with Teacher Workload, School Leadership, and Student Discipline. IES Compass: Briefs in Education. Number 27. International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.
  18. Fabella, F. E. T., & Gonzaga, C. B. (2023). Exploring Personality, Age and Years of Teaching as Factors in the Levels of Honesty among Selected Philippine Public School Elementary Teachers.
  19. Goldberg, L. R. (1992). Administering IPIP measures, with a 50-item sample questionnaire. International Personality Item Pool. https://ipip.ori.org/New_IPIP-50-item-scale.htm
  20. Göncz, L. (2017). Teacher personality: a review of psychological research and guidelines for a more comprehensive theory in educational psychology. Open Review of Educational Research4(1), 75-95.
  21. Hashmi, A., & Naz, Q. (2020). Impact of Big five personality traits on Academic Achievement of Prospective Teachers. Journal of Arts and Social Sciences7(1), 40-52.
  22. Hrušková, L. (2013). Personality traits of english teachers.
  23. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2024.155044
  24. Islam, T. (2025). Teachers’ Personality Traits at Secondary Level: A Diagnostic Study. Annals of Human and Social Sciences6(3), 543-549.
  25. Issah, M., Imurana, B. A., Oduro, R., Adu, I. N., & Musah, M. B. (2025). Investigating Teachers’ Job Satisfac tion: The Roles of School Leadership, Work load Stress and Teacher Self-Efficacy: Evi dence from TALIS 2018, UAE Data. Open Journal of Leadership, 14, 143-164. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojl.2025.141006
  26. Kabigting, F. J. (2021). The The Discovery and Evolution of the Big Five of Personality Traits: A Historical Review. GNOSI: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Theory and Praxis4(3), 83-100. Retrieved from https://gnosijournal.com/index.php/gnosi/article/view/120
  27. Kim, L. E., Jörg, V., & Klassen, R. M. (2019). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Teacher Personality on Teacher Effectiveness and Burnout. Educational psychology review31(1), 163–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9458-2
  28. Kumar, M. D. (2023). A study on importance of microsoft excel data analysis statistical tools in research works. Journal of Management & Educational Research Innovation1(3), 25-33.
  29. Lehmann, R., Denissen, J. J., Allemand, M., & Penke, L. (2013). Age and gender differences in motivational manifestations of the Big Five from age 16 to 60. Developmental psychology49(2), 365–383. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028277
  30. Lim, A. G. Y. (2025, March 20). Big five personality traits: The 5-factor model of personality. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html
  31. Maina. Kisa, P., Muiru, Dr. A., Ngundo, Dr. L., & Dept. of Educational psychology, Mount Kenya University. (2019). Influence of teachers’ conscientiousness personality on quality of teacher - student relationship in learning in Nakuru County, Kenya. International Journal of Advanced Research in Education & Technology (IJARET), 6–6(4). https://www.ijaret.com
  32. McAdams, D. P. (2008). The person: An introduction to the science of personality psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
  33. McCrae, R. R., & John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the Five‐Factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175–215. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1992.tb00970.x
  34. Mroué Boustani, M. (2006). The Associations of Universal Value Types with the Big 5 Personality Traits and Individualism-Collectivism in Lebanon and the United States (By Villanova University, Lebanese American University, Notre Dame University, American University of Science and Technology, & Villanova University; P. Blewitt & P. Markey, Eds.).
  35. Nadeem, S., Imran, H., Ahmed, T., & Abbasi, H. Z. (2024). ILLUMINATING THE IMPACT OF PERSONALITY FACTORS AND SELF EFFICACY ON COLLEGE EDUCATORS'JOB SATISFACTION: A CORRELATION STUDY. Socium1(2), 107-117.
  36. Perera, H. N., Granziera, H., & McIlveen, P. (2018). Profiles of teacher personality and relations with teacher self-efficacy, work engagement, and job satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 120, 171–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.08.034
  37. Rahman, S. A. (2018). Teachers’ self-efficacy, job satisfaction and job stress in the United Arab Emirates. The International Journal of Research in Teacher Education9(4), 56-70.
  38. Rahman, S. A. (2018). Teachers’ self-efficacy, job satisfaction and job stress in the United Arab Emirates. The International Journal of Research in Teacher Education9(4), 56-70.
  39. Rahman, S. A. (2018). Teachers’ self-efficacy, job satisfaction and job stress in the United Arab Emirates. The International Journal of Research in Teacher Education9(4), 56-70.
  40. Reji, R. JOB SATISFACTION-A BRIEF LITERATURE SURVEY. Recent Researches on Human Resource Management, 125.
  41. Rohani, A. R. (2017). A survey of the big five personality traits among elementary teachers.
  42. Salaudin, A. K., Mohamed, M., & Kamal, A. A. (2019). The relationship between personality traits and job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Putrajaya. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences9(13), 445-456.
  43. Shaban, S. (2018). Predicting big-five personality traits relation with employees’ engagement in public sector in Egypt. International Journal of Business and Management Review6(1), 33-43.
  44. Sharjah American Int. Pvt. School. (n.d.). https://spea.shj.ae/en/educational-institutions/schools/208
  45. Sharma, R., & Jyoti, J. (2006). Job Satisfaction among School Teachers. IIMB Management Review, 349–350.
  46. Soto, C. J., & Jackson, J. J. (2013). Five-factor model of personality. Journal of Research in Personality42(6), 1285-1302.
  47. Tavčar, M., & Arzenšek, A. (2019). Flow at Work, Work Satisfaction and Big Five Personality Traits among Slovenian Primary School Teachers. Management, 14(2), 151–163. https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-4231.14.151-163
  48. Toropova, A., Myrberg, E., & Johansson, S. (2021). Teacher job satisfaction: the importance of school working conditions and teacher characteristics. Educational Review73(1), 71–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2019.1705247
  49. University of Oxford. (n.d.). Microsoft Forms (Nexus365). Research Data Oxford. https://researchdata.ox.ac.uk/microsoft-forms-nexus365
  50. Viseu, J., de Jesus, S. N., Rus, C., & Canavarro, J. M. (2016). Teacher motivation, work satisfaction, and positive psychological capital: A literature review. Electronic Journal of Research in Education Psychology14(39), 439-461.
  51. Weisberg, Y. J., Deyoung, C. G., & Hirsh, J. B. (2011). Gender Differences in Personality across the Ten Aspects of the Big Five. Frontiers in psychology2, 178. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00178
  52. Widiger, T. A. (Ed.). (2017). The Oxford handbook of the five factor model. Oxford University Press.
  53. Widiger, T. A., & Crego, C. (2019). The Five Factor Model of personality structure: an update. World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)18(3), 271–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20658
  54. Worthy, L. D., Lavigne, T., & Romero, F. (2025). Big Five as universals. In Culture and psychology. Maricopa Open Digital Press. https://open.maricopa.edu/culturepsychology/chapter/big-five-as-universals/

55. Zembylas, M., & Papanastasiou, E. (2004). Job satisfaction among school teachers in Cyprus. Journal of Educational Administration, 42(3), 357–374. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230410534676

Factors influencing teacher satisfaction must be recognized (Sharma & Jyoti, 2006, p. 349), yet limited research in Sharjah has explored correlations between teacher satisfaction and the Big Five personality traits. In a sample of 26 middle to high school teachers at Sharjah American International School, Sharjah, this study examined those correlations. The average Big Five profile of the sample and patterns among their demographics, satisfaction, and traits were also identified. Moreover, Likert surveys were used: the 50-item IPIP Big Five scale and a teacher satisfaction survey (α = 0.87), and demographics were also assessed. A quantitative approach was adopted: Big Five traits were computed, Pearson correlation coefficients calculated, and trait-based grouping analysis found patterns. Conscientiousness was the highest Big Five trait in the sample (M = 4.19, Mdn = 4.10, SD = 0.53) and the strongest correlate of satisfaction (r = 0.43, p<.05). These findings indicate that organizational skills should be encouraged to enhance satisfaction. Other findings are that English Language and Literature teachers and those in their thirties were dominant in openness to experience, reflecting how younger teachers, as well as English teachers, are more inclined toward unconventional themes. Schools are recommended to foster organization and study teacher demographics to better decide placement of teachers. Further research is advised to explore how Big Five traits relate to demographic features.

Keywords : Big Five, Satisfaction, Teachers, School, Personality, Conscientiousness.

Paper Submission Last Date
30 - June - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe