Job satisfaction and self-efficacy of in-service early childhood teachers in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted early childhood education globally, altering both the working conditions and psychological states of early childhood teachers. In China, teachers experienced substantial stress from closures, income reductions, rapid shifts to online teaching, and disparities across urban–rural contexts. Prior research links low job satisfaction to turnover and challenges in professional identity, yet the interplay between external environments (e.g., institutional context, training) and internal mechanisms (e.g., personality traits) in shaping job satisfaction and self-efficacy remains underexplored in early childhood education. This study investigates Chinese early childhood teachers after returning to work, focusing on their job satisfaction and self-efficacy, and the predictive role of personality traits. Research questions: (1) What is the level of job satisfaction of Chinese early childhood teachers in the post-COVID-19 era? (2) What factors influence their job satisfaction and self-efficacy? (3) How do external environmental factors and internal psychological mechanisms affect their job satisfaction and self-efficacy?

Evidence underscores early childhood educators' critical role in children's cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. In China, policy emphasizes strengthening teacher standards, salaries, and training. The pandemic reshaped the ecology of teacher work, with public vs. private employment differences affecting job security and benefits, and teachers assuming new tasks (e.g., online content creation, family support) with limited crisis preparation, contributing to stress and weakened professional identity. Job satisfaction—linked to intrinsic motivation, belonging, and self-actualization—affects teacher–child interactions and teacher retention; it varies by organizational context, leadership, compensation, work environment, and demographics. Early childhood teaching entails substantial emotional labor; positive emotions and emotion regulation relate to better caregiving and interactions, yet undervaluation can fuel burnout. Teacher self-efficacy, grounded in social cognitive theory, reflects beliefs about capability to impact student outcomes and relates positively to performance, engagement, and reduced burnout; it is shaped by competence, experiences, social persuasion, and affective states. Some studies position self-efficacy as antecedent to job satisfaction; others suggest the reverse. Personality traits (e.g., Big Five dimensions, notably neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness) are associated with both self-efficacy and job satisfaction and influence emotional labor. Integrating the Environmentally Responsible Behavior framework, the study posits that external factors (demographics, context, training) and internal traits influence attitudes (job satisfaction) and behavioral intentions (self-efficacy), leading to workplace behaviors. Hypotheses: H1—job satisfaction levels differ significantly; H2—external factors and personality traits affect job satisfaction; H3—external factors and personality traits affect self-efficacy; H4—job satisfaction affects self-efficacy.

Design and sampling: Quantitative study using targeted sampling of in-service Chinese early childhood teachers who worked in the same kindergarten before and after COVID-19 closures (to control site-related variation). Data were collected via paper-and-pencil and online self-report questionnaires from August 1 to November 30, 2021. Recruitment occurred through offline local training cohorts and an online practitioner learning community; participation was voluntary and anonymous. Sample size rationale followed 5–10× observed items (45 items ⇒ ≥225). Instruments: (1) External factors: demographics, kindergarten type (public/private), and number of professional trainings attended in the year following COVID-19 onset. (2) Job satisfaction: Bloom’s (2010) 5-point Likert scale covering co-worker relations, supervisor relations, the work itself, working conditions and pay, and promotion opportunities; example items provided; higher scores indicate higher satisfaction; reliability α=0.88. (3) Personality traits: Revised scale for Chinese ECE based on Big Five and prior work, focusing on neuroticism (reversed/emotional stability), agreeableness, conscientiousness; 1–5 Likert; higher scores indicate more emotional stability, active learning, communication, empathy; α=0.93. (4) Self-efficacy: Chinese TSES (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk), 24 items across student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management; 1–9 scale; higher scores indicate higher self-efficacy; α=0.95. Participants: 250 invitations; 237 valid responses (94.8%). Demographics: 98.73% female; 87.77% ≤35 years; 97.89% college degree or higher; 97.47% low-income group by stated thresholds; 98.31% from public kindergartens; class sizes: 70% ≥31 students; regional distribution heavily Eastern China (89%). Training in past year: 7.59% none; 27% 1–2; 38.4% 3–6; 10.13% 7–11; 16.88% ≥12. Analysis: IBM SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0. Common method bias tested via Harman’s one-factor (first factor=29.87% <40%). Reliability (Cronbach’s α=0.88–0.95). Convergent validity via CR (job satisfaction=0.883; personality=0.881; self-efficacy=0.787) and AVE (0.502; 0.513; 0.521). Model fit (CFA): χ²/df=3.95; NFI=0.92; GFI=0.91; CFI=0.93; SRMR=0.04; RMSEA=0.07. Descriptive stats, ANOVA, and correlations addressed H1. Structural equation modeling (SEM) estimated direct effects among external factors, personality traits, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy; mediation tested via bootstrap (5,000 samples). Hypotheses tested: H1–H4 as defined in the literature review.

- Descriptive overview: Among surveyed teachers, job satisfaction was lowest for salary and promotion opportunities (M≈11.79). The work itself showed the greatest variability (SD≈4.13). ANOVA revealed significant differences between public and private kindergartens on pay and promotion; training attendance was associated with differences in co-worker relations. - Correlations: Personality traits, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy were all significantly correlated. - SEM results: Personality traits positively predicted job satisfaction (β=0.522, p<0.001) and self-efficacy (β=0.351, p<0.001). Number of trainings attended (β=0.032, p=0.065) and years of teaching (β=0.121, p=0.058) did not significantly predict job satisfaction (partial support for H2). Trainings attended (β=0.489, p=0.01) and years of teaching (β=0.366, p=0.01) significantly and positively predicted self-efficacy (supporting H3). Job satisfaction strongly predicted self-efficacy (β=0.623, p<0.001), supporting H4. - Mediation: Personality traits had a significant indirect effect on self-efficacy via job satisfaction (β=0.213, p<0.001), indicating partial mediation. - Measurement quality: High reliability (α=0.88–0.95); acceptable CR and AVE; acceptable CFA fit indices; Harman’s test indicated no serious common method bias.

Findings clarify that in this post-pandemic context, job satisfaction is a strong predictor of teachers’ self-efficacy and partially mediates the influence of personality traits on self-efficacy. This contributes evidence that, contrary to much prior work positing self-efficacy as antecedent of job satisfaction, job satisfaction can exert causal influence on self-efficacy among early childhood teachers navigating pandemic-induced challenges. Low satisfaction around compensation and advancement—especially differences by kindergarten type—likely undermines motivation and perceived professional value, thereby depressing self-efficacy and risking burnout and reduced instructional quality. Personality traits related to emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness significantly bolster both job satisfaction and self-efficacy, aligning with the emotional-labor-intensive nature of early childhood teaching. Training and experience enhanced self-efficacy but did not raise job satisfaction—possibly because trainings were misaligned with practice needs. The results suggest multi-level approaches: policy reforms to improve pay parity and promotion pathways; recognition and credentialing to strengthen professional identity; and training systems tailored to teachers’ personality profiles and contextual needs to sustain efficacy and engagement.

This study demonstrates that personality traits and external factors jointly shape job satisfaction and self-efficacy among in-service Chinese early childhood teachers in the post-COVID-19 era, with job satisfaction emerging as a key driver of self-efficacy and a mediator of personality effects. Teachers were least satisfied with pay and promotion, highlighting structural issues undermining motivation and efficacy. Practical implications include: establishing equitable compensation and promotion systems across public and private kindergartens; elevating the value of early childhood teacher certification; providing aligned, needs-based professional development; and incorporating personality-informed supports and selection/assessment to foster traits conducive to emotional labor and collaborative practice. Future work should extend samples across diverse regions and rigorously model interactions among external and internal factors across contexts to guide targeted interventions.

- Sampling: N=237 volunteers from training programs and an online learning community, predominantly from Eastern China; limited representativeness (especially rural areas) restricts generalizability. - Causal inference: Cross-sectional self-report data limit causal claims beyond SEM-supported pathways; unmeasured confounds may remain. - Training quality: The study quantified number of trainings but not content or quality; misalignment may explain null effects on job satisfaction. - Mechanisms: The precise interaction processes and context contingencies (strength of effects across settings) were not fully delineated; whether behavioral intentions feed back to reshape attitudes warrants further research.