Job Satisfaction and Social Background of Dalit Teacher Trainees in Colleges : A Study

This study examines the job satisfaction of Dalit teacher trainees in colleges in Kanpur with the aim to understand the social background of the teacher trainees and also to identify barriers and opportunities that create further professional difficulties. The study employed a mixed methods research design using a sample of 102 Dalit teacher trainees drawn by stratified random sampling. The main aims were to determine the job satisfaction scores, assess the impact of socio economic status and to identify barriers to professional development. The study tested three hypotheses: that is Socioeconomic status impacts variance in job satisfaction ; Caste identity hinders job satisfaction; and Access for professional development is associated with increased satisfaction on the job. Structured questionnaire data was collected which created a moderate (mean = 3.2) overall job satisfaction score, with a high 47.1% reporting satisfaction. There has been a positive correlation (r value = 0.45) found between socioeconomic status and job satisfaction, and it supports that hypothesis, that the higher socioeconomic status leads to more satisfaction. Qualitative insights identified, among many other barriers , a lack of professional development opportunities and experiences of caste discrimination. This only reiterates the requirement of educational establishments to have policies and programmes that sustain Dalit teacher train-ee's and make it fair inclusive environment. If institutions can address these challenges, that can only increase job satisfaction and make the educational landscape a little bit more equitable. Overall, this research highlights the need for an understanding of marginalised educators 'phenomenological ex-periences' in order to forge better practice and policy in the education sector.