Supportive communication in Catholic primary schools

Support from school leadership and from peers has been recognised as beneficial to the morale of teachers. It can enhance job satisfaction and can have a moderating influence on felt occupational stress. This paper reports on a study that conceptualised support as three distinct dimensions of organisational communication. The three dimensions are described in terms of their manifestation as communication practices in schools. Relationships between these dimensions and job satisfaction and occupational stress of school staff members were also investigated. The participants were three hundred and fifty six staff members from primary schools of Catholic diocesan systems across New South Wales, Australia. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained using a questionnaire survey. The findings suggest that supportive communication can indeed be beneficial to school staff. Implications for school leadership teams and staff members are discussed.