Citation

Jeon HJ, Kwon KA, Walsh B, Burnham MM, Choi YJ. Early Educ. Dev. 2019; 30(1): 131-144.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10409289.2018.1539822

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research Findings: This study used teacher questionnaires to investigate the relationships of early childhood education teachers' depressive symptoms, professional motivation, and job-related stress to their beliefs about children and teaching practices. Teachers (N = 207) were recruited from early childhood education programs in the southern United States. Path analyses showed that teachers who exhibited fewer depressive symptoms were more likely to have a career orientation to their jobs and indicated feeling less job-related stress. Teachers with a career orientation to their jobs were also more likely to have child-centered beliefs and endorse developmentally appropriate teaching practices. Teachers' job-related stress, however, was not related to beliefs about children or teaching practices. Practice or Policy: These results suggest that teachers' psychological and job-related well-being are linked to their beliefs about children and teaching practice in early childhood education. It is therefore important to provide support systems and preventive programs for teachers to enhance their well-being.

Language: en