The present paper examines the relationships between principal job satisfaction, school
characteristics, roles of the principal, and student achievement, as well as predictors, in
Australia, Finland, Latvia, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, and Spain. Data for this
quantitative study are from the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)
and the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The eight countries
were selected based upon their participation in both the TALIS and PISA. To create this
dataset, researchers merged the datasets, yielding a study sample of 1301 schools.
Job satisfaction has been related to increased recruitment and retention (Conrad & Rosser,
2007; Federici & Skaalvik, 2012; Witaker, 2003; Yu-kwong & Walker, 2010). Research
specifically related to principals has been underrepresented in this body of research. It is
critical to understand the relationships between principal job satisfaction, school
characteristics, and student achievement due to the direct and indirect influence of principals
on student achievement (Clifford, Behrstock-Sherratt, & Fetters, 2012; Federici & Skaalvik,
2012). “Research on leadership efficacy indicates that positive efficacy beliefs are vital to
leaders’ success because it determines the effort and persistence on a particular task as well
as the aspirations and goals they set” (Federici & Skaalvik, 2012, p. 297).