This study examined the relationships between organizational justice, organizational citizenship behavior, student socioeconomic status, and student achievement in Virginia public high schools. A strong positive correlation was found between teachers' perceptions of organizational justice and their organizational citizenship behavior. However, no direct correlation was found between organizational justice and student achievement. The study suggests that organizational justice is important for fostering teacher behaviors but its relationship to student outcomes requires further research.

1. ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE (OJ) PERCEPTIONS OF
TEACHERS: RELATIONSHIPS TO ORGANIZATIONAL
CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR (OCB) AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Travis Burns, Ed.D
Principal of Page Middle School, Gloucester, VA
College of William and Mary and Gloucester County Public Schools (GCPS), VA
Abstract The Problem Results Discussion and Conclusion
An emergent research base suggests that School principals may influence learning outcomes Correlational analyses and multiple regressions The results of this study add to the growing
by shaping and fostering a school culture that promotes were performed between the examined variables – realization that organizational justice is significantly
teacher perceptions of fairness with respect to
a sense of justice or fairness. This occurs through the organizational justice, organizational citizenship behavior, related to organizational citizenship behavior. The first
interactions with school administrators, decision-
principal’s interactions with teachers, fair application and student socioeconomic status, and student achievement. part of this study investigated the relationship between
making processes, and decision outcomes have much
enforcement of policies and procedures, and through the The data from the bivariate correlation analysis organizational justice and student achievement as
to contribute to our understanding of effective schools.
development of school processes that support teacher demonstrated a strong, positive correlation between measured by the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL)
This study focused on the relationship between
organizational justice and organizational citizenship End-of-Course (EOC) Tests: English 11: Reading; English
organizational justice and organizational citizenship task performance. School leaders who ignore the
behavior in schools (r = .60, p<.01). The predicted direct 11: Writing: Biology; and United States History. No
behavior (OCB) in the high school setting and their implications of developing and sustaining a culture of
correlation between organizational justice and student direct relationship was observed between organizational
relationships to student achievement. Correlational justice do so at their own peril. Organizational
achievement was not supported. justice and student achievement. Although this is the
analysis was used to analyze and measure the strength citizenship behavior (OCB) is a correlate of student
first study of these variables at the high school level, this
of the relationships between examined variables. The achievement.* If teachers perceive the principal and/or finding was not expected.
study found a positive and significant relationship decision-making structures as being unfair, aggregate A significant relationship was demonstrated
between organizational justice and organizational organizational citizenship behavior may likely diminish. between organizational justice and organizational
citizenship behavior in Virginia public high schools. No In turn, student achievement as measured by citizenship behavior. Organizational justice describes
evidence was found for a significant correlation standardized performance measures may wane. teacher perceptions of fairness regarding the
between organizational justice and student Conversely, high levels of organizational justice may appropriateness of outcomes and processes in the
achievement. Results of the study are discussed in strengthen the relationship between organizational school. Organizational justice differs from organizational
terms of their implications for future research on citizenship behavior and student achievement. This citizenship behavior in that it is a measure of teacher
organizational justice. presentation merely underscores the interconnectedness perceptions of the principal’s actions as opposed to
of justice and the citizenship behaviors of teachers and teacher perceptions of teacher actions. The results of
the importance of developing a culture of justice in this study demonstrate that justice is an important
schools. component of school life. Justice provides coherence
between teacher citizenship behaviors and other
Definitions: Organizational justice may strengthen the relationship contextual factors shaping student performance
Organizational Justice (OJ): Organizational justice refers to between organizational citizenship behavior and student outcomes.
employee perceptions of fairness and evaluations regarding achievement. Further research is needed to determine Though this study demonstrated that
Research Questions appropriateness of outcomes and processes in the workplace. whether organizational justice mediates or moderates the organizational justice is an important determinant of
Teacher perceptions of justice are based on the treatment of relationship between organizational citizenship behavior
1. What is the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior, it failed to
school personnel and interactions with the principal.
organizational justice and student and student achievement. As predicted, student demonstrate a significant relationship to student
achievement on the Virginia Standards of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB): Organizational socioeconomic status correlated strongly and positively achievement. One can only speculate on the reasons
Learning (SOL) End-of-Course (EOC) Tests: citizenship behavior (OCB) is a one-dimensional construct when with student achievement. Significant findings not why organizational justice was not significantly related to
English 11: Reading; English 11: Writing: applied to schools, benefits to individuals and benefits to school addressed by the research questions include a robust and student achievement in this study. In general, the
Biology; and United States History? (DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2001). Examples of citizenship positive correlation between organizational citizenship organizational justice construct is a reflection of faculty
behaviors in schools may include volunteering to serve on a school behavior and Biology and Reading achievement. perceptions of the principal, whereas organizational
improvement committee, providing advance notice prior to taking citizenship behavior reflects teacher perceptions of
personal leave, and giving up planning time or staying after school teachers. Teachers may not perceive school principals as
2. What is the relationship between hours to tutor students.
organizational justice and organizational a having direct influence on student performance
citizenship behaviors of classroom teachers outcomes
Method Finally, this study also investigated the relative
in Virginia high schools?
effects of student socioeconomic status and
• Ethical considerations were addressed (permissions, organizational justice perceptions of teachers on student
confidentiality, IRBs, etc.);
achievement as measured by the Virginia Standards of
3. What are the collective and relative
• The OJ and OCB Scales were administered by the Learning (SOL) End-of-Course (EOC) Tests: English 11:
effects of organizational justice, researcher and/or designee [teachers] during faculty Reading; English 11: Writing: Biology; and United States
organizational citizenship behavior, and meetings; History. On all four student performance indicators
socio-economic status in explaining variance student socioeconomic status was found to have a
in student achievement with respect to • Sample consisted of 34 Virginia High Schools;
significant independent negative effect on student
effect size as measured by the Virginia • Demographic data and mean SOL scores for the 2010- achievement. Schools with higher proportions of
Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course 2011 academic year were obtained from the VADOE; students receiving free and reduced-price lunch
(EOC) Tests: English11: Reading; English 11: • Only two high schools in the sample served grades 8 experienced lower levels of student achievement in
Writing: Biology; and United States History?
Variance Reading, Writing, Biology, and History. These results
through 12. The remaining 32 schools served grades 9
through 12; support prior findings on the relationship between
student socioeconomic status and student achievement
• The largest school by enrollment had a student
(Jackson, 2009; Jurewicz, 2004; Lezotte, 1991; Lezotte,
population of 2083;
2001; Wagner, 2008).
• The smallest school in the study had a student
population of 259;
• Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used Acknowledgements
to analyze data and answer research questions.
The researcher acknowledges the support and
assistance of Dr. Michael DiPaola, Dr. Megan
Tschannen-Moran, and Dr. James Stronge.