ISSN: 2782-893X
eISSN: 2799-0664
ISSN: 2782- 893X
—— The current study provides insights on the total quality management (TQM) practices in elementary education and their correlation/effect on teachers’ job satisfaction (TJS) of 150 public school teachers working in rural schools of Davao City. Based on the study, six TQM elements were traced as critical to the success of TQM implementation in the school environment: participation/involvement in continuous improvement, teamwork, empowerment, appraisal systems/recognition and reward for quality, training and development (T&D) and leadership (vision/ commitment to quality culture). After assessing the validity and reliability of the measurement scales, multiple regression analysis was applied to test the hypothesized relationships which was theoretically founded and empirically tested. A questionnaire was used as the research instrument. The research findings revealed that leadership and empowerment are the most highly implemented TQM practices in elementary education. Appraisal systems/recognition and community linkages, teamwork and work environment were the TQM elements that had a positive association with TJS. The outcomes of the study are of help to school principals and policy-makers in order to design and implement TQM policies that advance the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of processes in the primary and secondary education system, as well as to satisfy and motivate teachers for continuous improvement. This was, to the best of our knowledge, the first study in the Davao Region that has explored the impact of TQM elements on TJS. Keywords — Total quality management (TQM), teacher job satisfaction (TJS), elementary education and schools, education management, correlation