Organizational,interpersonal,and intrapersonal resources are uniquely associated with physical,psychological,and occupational well-being among Chinese kindergarten teachers

Abstract

Kindergarten teachers’ well-being has important implications for young children’s development. Therefore, it is important to identify resource factors that may promote teachers’ well-being. This cross-sectional study examined whether organizational, interpersonal, and intrapersonal resources were associated with the physical, psychological, and occupational well-being of Chinese kindergarten teachers. Online questionnaire data were collected from 336 kindergarten teachers working in Hong Kong, China (mean age = 31.6 years; 86% of them were women). Kindergarten teachers rated the availability of organizational resources (indicated by school infrastructure and professional development opportunities), interpersonal resources (indicated by positive social interactions with co-workers and with supervisors), and intrapersonal resources (indicated by psychological capitals, including hope, resilience, optimism, and efficacy). Teachers also rated their physical well-being (indicated by physical health and musculoskeletal symptoms), psychological well-being (indicated by life satisfaction and depressive symptoms), and occupational well-being (indicated by job satisfaction and turnover intentions). Structural equational modeling showed that organizational, interpersonal, and intrapersonal resources were uniquely and positively associated with teachers’ physical, psychological, and occupational well-being. Theoretically, findings highlighted the multidimensional nature of resources and their roles in understanding the holistic well-being of kindergarten teachers. Practically, findings pointed to the potential utility of supporting the well-being of kindergarten teachers by providing them with resources at the organizational, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels.