Abstract
Although teacher–child interaction has been recognized as an important indicator of quality in early care and education as well as a crucial predictor of children’s development, limited studies have explored the pathways of teachers’ job-related stress to interaction with young children. This study aimed to investigate the sequential mediating roles of the personal resources of mindfulness and resilience in the association between perceived job-related stress and teacher–child interaction among early childhood educators in Korea. Three-hundred and seven early childhood educators completed self-reported questionnaires measuring their perspectives regarding job-related stress and teacher–child interaction as well as mindfulness and resilience. The results revealed that job-related stress predicted low levels of teacher–child interaction after controlling for early childhood educators’ demographic characteristics and the partial mediation roles of mindfulness and resilience on the association. These findings highlight that greater attention to early childhood educators’ job-related stress and well-being is needed to enhance the quality of early childhood education and care. The findings also suggest the benefits of preventive intervention programs for early childhood educators targeting mindfulness and resilience.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13(1), 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191105283504
Becker, B. D., Gallagher, K. C., & Whitaker, R. C. (2017). Teachers’ dispositional mindfulness and the quality of their relationships with children in Head Start classrooms. Journal of School Psychology, 65, 40–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2017.06.004
Beltman, S., Mansfield, C., & Price, A. (2011). Thriving not just surviving: A review of research on teacher resilience. Educational Research Review, 6(3), 185–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2011.09.001
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., Devins, G., et al. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bph077
Bredekamp, S., & Apple, P. L. (1986). How early childhood programs get accredited: An analysis of accreditation decisions. Young Children, 42(1), 34–38.
Buettner, C. K., Jeon, L., Hur, E., & Garcia, R. E. (2016). Teachers’ social–emotional capacity: Factors associated with teachers’ responsiveness and professional commitment. Early Education and Development, 27(7), 1018–1039. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1168227
Cho, E. K., & Couse, L. J. (2008). Early childhood teacher policy in the United States: Continuing issues, overcoming barriers, and envisioning the future. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 2(2), 15–30.
Cho, Y. (2009). The reliability and validity of a Korean version of the cognitive and affective mindfulness scale-revised. The Korean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28(3), 667–693.
Clarà, M. (2017). Teacher resilience and meaning transformation: How teachers reappraise situations of adversity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63, 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.12.010
Csaszar, I. E., Curry, J. R., & Lastrapes, R. E. (2018). Effects of loving kindness meditation on student teachers’ reported levels of stress and empathy. Teacher Education Quarterly, 45(4), 93–116.
Demming, C. L., Jahn, S., & Boztuğ, Y. (2017). Conducting mediation analysis in marketing research. Marketing: ZFP-Journal of Research and Management, 39(3), 76–93. https://doi.org/10.2307/26426855
Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., & Zinsser, K. (2012). Early childhood teachers as socializers of young children’s emotional competence. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40(3), 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0504-2
Doney, P. A. (2013). Fostering resilience: A necessary skill for teacher retention. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 24, 645–664. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-012-9324-x
Drew, S. V., & Sosnowski, C. (2019). Emerging theory of teacher resilience: A situational analysis. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 18(4), 492–507. https://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC12-2018-0118
Eva, A. L., & Thayer, N. M. (2017). The mindful teacher: Translating research into daily well-being. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 90(1), 18–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2016.1235953
Faulkner, M., Gerstenblatt, P., Lee, A., Vallejo, V., & Travis, D. (2016). Childcare providers: Work stress and personal well-being. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 14(3), 280–293. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X14552871
Feldman, G., Hayes, A., Kumar, S., Greeson, J., & Laurenceau, J. P. (2007). Mindfulness and emotion regulation: The development and initial validation of the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 29(3), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-006-9035-8
Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout, and teaching efficacy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(3), 182–195. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12026
Good, D. J., Lyddy, C. J., Glomb, T. M., Bono, J. E., Brown, K. W., Duffy, M. K., Lazar, S. W., et al. (2016). Contemplating mindfulness at work: An integrative review. Journal of Management, 42(1), 114–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315617003
Grindal, T. A., Hinton, C., & Shonkoff, J. P. (2012). The science of early childhood development. In B. Falk (Ed.), Defending childhood: Keeping the promise of early education (pp. 13–23). New York: Teachers College Press.
Gu, Q., & Day, C. (2013). Challenges to teacher resilience: Conditions count. British Educational Research Journal, 39(1), 22–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2011.623152
Hamre, B. K. (2014). Teachers’ daily interactions with children: An essential ingredient in effective early childhood programs. Child Development Perspectives, 8(4), 223–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12090
Hamre, B. K., Pianta, R. C., Burchinal, M., Field, S., LoCasale-Crouch, J., Downer, J. T., Scott-Little, C., et al. (2012). A course on effective teacher-child interactions: Effects on teacher beliefs, knowledge, and observed practice. American Educational Research Journal, 49(1), 88–123. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831211434596
Harper, E., & Wilson, R. (2020). Work in early childhood education: Protocol of a systematic review. International Journal of Educational Research, 103, 101622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101622
Hindman, A. H., & Bustamante, A. S. (2019). Understanding well-being among teachers in early childhood settings: Challenges, supports, and implications for children’s development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 61, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2019.03.005
Hirshberg, M. J., Flook, L., Enright, R. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2020). Integrating mindfulness and connection practices into preservice teacher education improves classroom practices. Learning and Instruction, 66, 101298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2019.101208
Hossain, Z., Noll, E., & Barboza, M. (2012). Caregiving involvement, job condition, and job satisfaction of infant-toddler child-care teachers in the United States. Education Research International, 2012,. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/676352
Howes, C., & Smith, E. W. (1995). Relations among child care quality, teacher behavior, children’s play activities, emotional security, and cognitive activity in childcare. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 10(4), 381–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/0885-2006(95)90013-6
Hu, B. Y., Fan, X., Wu, Y., LoCasale-Crouch, J., & Song, Z. (2019). Contributions of teacher-child interaction quality to Chinese Children’s Development in the Early Childhood Years. Early Education and Development, 30(2), 159–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2018.1544809
Hu, S. (2020). Understand the turnover intention among kindergarten teachers in Chinese Mainland. Journal of Research, Policy & Practice of Teachers and Teacher Education, 10(1), 95–109.
Hülsheger, U. R., Alberts, H. J., Feinholdt, A., & Lang, J. W. (2013). Benefits of mindfulness at work: The role of mindfulness in emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 310–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031313
Hwang, Y. S., Bartlett, B., Greben, M., & Hand, K. (2017). A systematic review of mindfulness interventions for in-service teachers: A tool to enhance teacher wellbeing and performance. Teaching and Teacher Education, 64, 26–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.01.015
Jennings, P. A. (2019). Comprehensive systems of support: Where do we go from here? Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 61, 56–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2019.07.009
Jennings, P. A., Brown, J. L., Frank, J. L., Doyle, S., Oh, Y., Davis, R., Greenberg, M. T. et al. (2017). Impacts of the CARE for Teachers program on teachers’ social and emotional competence and classroom interactions. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(7), 1010. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000187
Jennings, P. A., Doyle, S., Oh, Y., Rasheed, D., Frank, J. L., & Brown, J. L. (2019). Long-term impacts of the CARE program on teachers’ self-reported social and emotional competence and well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 76, 186–202.
Jeon, L., Buettner, C. K., Grant, A. A., & Lang, S. N. (2019). Early childhood teachers’ stress and children’s social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 61, 21–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2018.02.002
Kang, J., & Ahn, J. (2015). Effects of early childhood teachers’ resilience and teaching efficacy on organizational commitment. Korean Journal of Child Education and Care, 15(4), 259–279.
Kim, J. H. (2011). Resilience. Wisdom House Publishing.
Korean Education Development Institute. (2001). Statistical yearbook of education. Retrieved from https://kess.kedi.re.kr/publ/view?survSeq=2001&publSeq=2&menuSeq=3894&itemCode=02&language=en#.
Korean Education Development Institute. (2019). Statistical yearbook of education. Retrieved from https://www.index.go.kr/potal/main/EachDtlPageDetail.do?idx_cd=1535.
Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. (2018). Childcare center survey 2018. Retrieved from http://www.mohw.go.kr/react/jb/sjb030301vw.jsp?PAR_MENU_ID=03&MENU_ID=032902&CONT_SEQ=349978&page=1.
Lang, S. N., Jeon, L., Sproat, E. B., Brothers, B. E., & Buettner, C. K. (2020). Social emotional learning for teachers (SELF-T): A short-term, online intervention to increase early childhood educators’ resilience. Early Education and Development, 31(7), 1112–1132. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1749820
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer.
Lee, H. (2003). Interaction between a teacher and children depending on teaching experience and children’s age [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Keimyung University.
Lee, H. (2015). The mediating effects of professional perception on the relationship between child care teacher’s efficacy and children-teacher interaction. Korean Journal of Child Education and Care, 15(4), 93–112.
Li, S., Li, Y., Lv, H., Jiang, R., Zhao, P., Zheng, X., Mao, F., et al. (2020). The prevalence and correlates of burnout among Chinese preschool teachers. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 160. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-8287-7
Lipscomb, S. T., Hatfield, B., Goka-Dubose, E., Lewis, H., & Fisher, P. A. (2021). Impacts of roots of resilience professional development for early childhood teachers on young children’s protective factors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 56, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.02.002
Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71(3), 543–562.
Ministry of Health and Welfare. (2001). Childcare statistics 2001. Retrieved from https://www.kcpi.or.kr/kcpi/cyberpr/childcarestat1/detail.do?colContentsSeq=455.
Ministry of Health and Welfare. (2020). Childcare statistics 2019. Retrieved from https://www.mohw.go.kr/react/jb/sjb030301vw.jsp.
Neuenschwander, R., Friedman-Krauss, A., Raver, C., & Blair, C. (2017). Teacher stress predicts child executive function: Moderation by school poverty. Early Education and Development, 28(7), 880–900. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2017.1287993
Nila, K., Holt, D. V., Ditzen, B., & Aguilar-Raab, C. (2016). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) enhances distress tolerance and resilience through changes in mindfulness. Mental Health & Prevention, 4(1), 36–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2016.01.001
Park, J., Park, C., Kim, E., Lee, J., Kang, Y., & Choi, Y. (2020). Why do they depend on the private sector of childcare in South Korea? Perspectives of the selected working mothers. Children and Youth Services Review,. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105106
Parker, D. F., & DeCotiis, T. A. (1983). Organizational determinants of job stress. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 32(2), 160–177.
Peng, I., Cha, S. E., & Moon, H. (2019, June 30–July 2). An Overview of Care Policies and the Status of Care Workers in South Korea. [Paper presentation]. Care, work, and the economy project annual meeting, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Phillips, D., Austin, L. J., & Whitebook, M. (2016). The early care and education workforce. The Future of Children, 26(2), 139–158.
Reivich, K., & Shatté, A. (2002). The resilience factor: 7 essential skills for overcoming life’s inevitable obstacles. Broadway Books.
Rentzou, K., & Sakellariou, M. (2011). The quality of early childhood educators: Children’s interaction in Greek childcare centers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(5), 367–376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-010-0403-3
Rhee, W. Y., & Kim, M. H. (2019). Ongoing process of the integration of kindergarten and childcare of Korea. Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 13(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.17206/apjrece.2019.13.2.1
Richards, K. A. R., Levesque-Bristol, C., Templin, T. J., & Graber, K. C. (2016). The impact of resilience on role stressors and burnout in elementary and secondary teachers. Social Psychology of Education, 19(3), 511–536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-016-9346-x
Roeser, R. W., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Jha, A., Cullen, M., Wallace, L., Wilensky, R., Harrison, J., et al. (2013). Mindfulness training and reductions in teacher stress and burnout: Results from two randomized, waitlist-control field trials. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 787–804. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032093
Roorda, D. L., Verschueren, K., Vancraeyveldt, C., Van Craeyevelt, S., & Colpin, H. (2014). Teacher–child relationships and behavioral adjustment: Transactional links for preschool boys at risk. Journal of School Psychology, 52(5), 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.06.004
Seoul foundation of women and family. (2018). Men in early childcare setting. Gender Brief. 2018.6.6. issue.
Shin, H. (2004). Effects of teachers’ job stress and belief of efficacy on the quality of teachers’ interaction behaviors in child care [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Yonsei University.
Tait, M. (2008). Resilience as a contributor to novice teacher success, commitment, and retention. Teacher Education Quarterly, 35(4), 57–75.
Wagner, S. L., Forer, B., Cepeda, I. L., Goelman, H., Maggi, S., D’Angiulli, A.,Grunau, R. E., et al. (2013, February). Perceived stress and Canadian early childcare educators. In Child & Youth Care Forum (Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 53–70). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-012-9187-5
Whitaker, R. C., Dearth-Wesley, T., & Gooze, R. A. (2015). Workplace stress and the quality of teacher–children relationships in Head Start. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 30, 57–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.08.008
Yang, C. C., Fan, C. W., Chen, K. M., Hsu, S. C., & Chien, C. L. (2018). As a happy kindergarten teacher: The mediating effect of happiness between role stress and turnover intention. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 27(6), 431–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-018-0403-4
Yoleri, S. (2016). Teacher-child relationships in preschool period: The roles of child temperament and language skills. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 9(1), 210–224.
Yu, J., & Chae, S. (2020). The mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between the academic burnout and psychological well-being of medical students. Korean Journal of Medical Education, 32(1), 13–21. https://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2020.149
Zhang, X., & Nurmi, J. E. (2012). Teacher–child relationships and social competence: A two-year longitudinal study of Chinese preschoolers. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 33(3), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2012.03.001
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Part of the article is based on the Sol Seo’s thesis.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Seo, S., Yuh, J. Mindfulness and Resilience as Mediators in the Relationship Between Job-Related Stress and Teacher–Child Interaction Among Early Childhood Educators. Early Childhood Educ J 50, 1209–1219 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01250-w
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01250-w