Early childhood classrooms demand considerable emotional and physical engagement from both educators and children throughout the day. At times, this can lead to stress, anxiety, restlessness, and fatigue. According to transactional theory, a reciprocal relationship exists between teachers and children in the classroom. Teachers' mental health and…

This perspective highlights the experiences and observations of an early care and education researcher reentering the field after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the USA. Specifically, this perspective highlights the struggles of children, teachers, early care and education leaders, and the system itself as early care and education…

This study investigates the intricate relationships among display rules, emotional job demands (EJD), emotional labour and the occupational well-being (OWB) of kindergarten teachers in China. Utilising the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this study specifically assesses the influence of EJD and displays rules on two dimensions of teachers' OWB…

Early childhood educators play a critical role in the lives of young children, especially through their sensitive interactions. Educators' capacities to engage in high-quality interactions are shaped by their mental health. Studies examining early childhood educators' mental health often focus on psychopathology or negative aspects of mental…

Research Findings: To explore distinct professional-wellbeing subgroups and variations in turnover intentions, we examined the factor structure of the Early Childhood Professional Wellbeing Questionnaire (McMullen et al., 2020), which was completed online by 368 Australian early childhood educators. Based on educators' scores on the Belonging and…

The challenges of recruiting, strengthening, and retaining the child care and early education (CCEE) workforce are well documented. Members of the CCEE workforce typically have low levels of formal education and compensation; limited opportunities for education, training, and professional development; inconsistent working conditions; and high…

In response to a workforce crisis, Australia's early childhood education and care workforce strategy for the next decade, "Shaping our Future," was released in September 2021. This strategy was developed through a three-stage, 'top-down' process in which open consultation on pre-defined strategies was the final stage. Analysing data from…

Teacher career plateaus hinder the high-quality development of teaching staff. Based on a nationwide questionnaire survey on Chinese kindergarten teachers' career plateaus, this study developed a kindergarten teacher career plateauing structural model. The research findings indicate that overall career plateauing among Chinese kindergarten…

Early care and education (ECE) programs are central to a thriving community: they support the well-being of children as well as their families. In Contra Costa County, approximately 260 child care centers serve children from birth through age five, along with 765 family child care providers operating in their own homes. These nurturing and vibrant…

This systematic literature review summarises the research into interventions intended to improve the wellbeing of educators in the early childhood to secondary sectors. A search of articles published between 2000 and 2020 yielded 23 articles that met our inclusion criteria. Studies were included if they collected quantitative or qualitative data…

Having a qualified, stable, and healthy workforce is a critical component of a thriving early care and education (ECE) system. However, ECE educators--especially those who are women of color--have long encountered low wages and a lack of benefits, coupled with a physically demanding and stressful work environment. Burnout and teacher turnover are…

Researchers have studied stress and burnout in the field of education for decades. The problem addressed in this study was that early childhood (EC) teachers of kindergarten through second grade in a large, northeastern, suburban public school district have returned to in-person instruction with many challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Leadership is a relational practice that influences early childhood teachers' (ECTs) capability for agency. Agency contributes to the job satisfaction, wellbeing, and retention of ECTs-which are of pressing importance in a climate of global early childhood workforce sustainability challenges. Empirical insights presented in this paper explore the…

Early childhood educators' work, especially with children and families experiencing vulnerability, is complex, highly skilled, and can place significant psychological burdens on educators. This may adversely affect educators' well-being and contribute to the high levels of attrition seen globally. This article reports on an evaluation of a…