Measuring the change in faculty perceptions over time: An examination of their worklife and satisfaction

In this study, a two-group structural equation model was proposed and tested to investigate the change in faculty members' perceptions of their worklife and satisfaction over time. Using the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty [i.e., NSOPF:93-99, National Center for Educational Statistics, US Department of Education, National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, Faculty Survey. Washington, DC, 1993-1999] restricted databases, this study examines the conceptual and measurement dierences across two National samples of research faculty members. The model suggests that three dimensions of worklife and four dimensions of satisfaction may be useful in the monitoring of faculty members' perceptions changing over time. The results indicate that the construct validity of the model was supported across the two groups. Moreover, that worklife and satisfaction were stable with respect to the number of factors, item loadings, and factor intercorrelations. There was also substantial equivalence across the two groups.