Organisational commitment measuring instrument convergent and discriminant validity study in an educational setting

The contributions made by committed employees towards organisational success have been well documented. In the education context, it has been emphasised that committed teachers are not only attached to the teaching profession, but they also find ways to promote it and create an enabling environment for learners to realise learning outcomes. However, many of the instruments developed to measure the organisational commitment construct have focussed on employees in the business organisations with minimal attention paid to those in the school environment. This article evaluates the convergent and discriminant validity of organisational commitment measuring instrument for primary school teachers in the South African context. A preliminary analysis identified four explanatory factors of organisational commitment. The focus of this study was to identify factors influencing teachers’ organisational commitment. The study was conducted through a quantitative research design using a sample of primary school teachers in an educational circuit, South Africa. The organisational commitment instrument was completed by a sample (n = 350) with 86% response rate. Confirmatory factor analysis in structural equation modelling was conducted using SMARTPLS 3. Convergent validity and discriminant validity of three factors were confirmed in the study. Results from the structural equation model revealed that only two factors had the strongest influence on primary school teachers’ organisational commitment. The implication is that the adapted model can be used to explain primary school teachers’ organisational commitment in a school environment.