Job Satisfaction and Work-Family Dynamics among Preschool Teachers

Preschool teachers frequently negotiate the demands of their professional roles with their personal responsibilities, a balance integral to their well-being and retention. Job satisfaction within this cohort is shaped by a constellation of factors including organisational culture, perceived support, workload and self-concept as educators. Work-family dynamics—wherein the obligations of the workplace and the home sphere interact—exert a profound influence on teacher morale, stress levels and commitment to the profession. Empirical evidence indicates that conflict between these domains can erode job satisfaction and precipitate emotional exhaustion, whereas a supportive environment and a strong occupational identity buffer such tensions. Globally, understanding these mechanisms is vital for informing policy and practice, whether in under-resourced rural settings or densely populated urban areas. Practical interventions range from enhancing social support networks and fostering adaptive coping to reinforcing professional identity, all of which contribute to teacher resilience, lower turnover and improved quality of early childhood education.

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Job Satisfaction and Work-Family Dynamics among Preschool Teachers publication trend

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Technical terms

Work-family conflict: Inter-role tension arising when the demands of work and family are mutually incompatible.

Occupational identity: An individual’s sense of self based on the value and meaning they ascribe to their professional role.

Social support: Emotional, informational and practical assistance provided by colleagues, supervisors or social networks.

Coping style: Characteristic strategies individuals employ to manage stress and challenging situations.

Emotional exhaustion: A chronic state of physical and emotional depletion resulting from prolonged stress.

Turnover intention: The conscious and deliberate consideration of leaving one’s current position.

References

1. The relationship between work–family conflict and job satisfaction for preschool teachers in rural China: a moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Public Health (2023).
2. Social Support and Job Satisfaction in Kindergarten Teachers: The Mediating Role of Coping Styles. Frontiers in Psychology (2022).
3. Chinese Rural Kindergarten Teachers’ Work–Family Conflict and Their Turnover Intention: The Role of Emotional Exhaustion and Professional Identity. Behavioral Sciences (2024).