Job satisfaction among school social workers: The role of interprofessional relationships and professional role discrepancy

A sample of 183 members of the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) completed a survey including: (1) a questionnaire measuring perceptions of the worker's relationships with school counselors and school psychologists; (2) Hartseil's (1987) measure of professional role discrepancy; (3) a Job satisfaction scale; and (4) a demographic and background data questionnaire. Responding social workers indicated that they tended to have frequent professional contact with the members of the other two professions, that they seldom or never felt competitive toward members of these groups, that they most often felt that the members of the other two professions valued their skills and expertise, and that they generally found members of the other two professions to he likeable. The social workers were most satisfied when there was little discrepancy between actual and ideal professional roles; when they frequently felt their skills were valued by school psychologists; and when they worked with older (high school) as opposed to younger (elementary school) students.