The well-being of preschool and assistant teachers in the wake of the economic collapse

Abstract

The well-being and working conditions of preschool teachers and assistant teachers can affect children and their developmental processes, as they spend so many hours together every week. The social-emotional capacity and the psychological wellbeing of preschool and assistant teachers are fundamental characteristics that support improved social and emotional learning practices in the classroom. Preschool teachers and assistant teachers who experience emotional exhaustion and burnout at work are less likely to exhibit positive practices in children’s caregiving. This a major concern, since teaching is often recognized as one of the most stressful occupations. Although interest in preschool and assistant teachers’ own psychological well-being and selfcare is growing, more research is needed to understand the state of their well-being to find ways to better support their mental health. Therefore, in the current study, we explore factors in the work environment that support or reduce the well-being of preschool and assistant teachers, such as management, social support at work, workload, job roles and job development. We studied the work conditions and connections between work environment and self-evaluated mental well-being of approximately half of all preschool teachers and assistant teachers in Iceland - in seventeen out of the seventy-two municipalities in Iceland. The past decade has seen considerable changes in the work environment of municipal employees, which can be traced to the economic collapse in 2008. These changes are reflected in, among other things, mergers of preschools and a decrease in numbers of preschool teachers and assistant teachers while the proportion of children attending preschool has increased. In 2009, there were 284 preschools in Iceland but in 2016, they were only 254. However, the proportion of children attending preschools has risen, from 82% to 86% while the number of preschool and assistant teachers has decreased by 2% between 2014 and 2016. The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between preschool and assistant teachers’ well-being and work environment over time. The research is based on longterm panel data and responses from 480 preschool teachers and assistant teachers in the years 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015, where the same individuals are followed. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was used to predict the mental health of the employees during these years. Repeated measurements showed that the preschool and assistant teachers’ self-valuated mental well-being worsened between each study point of the questionnaire. This also occurred when the background factors of gender, age and marital status had been taken into account. All aspects of the working environment under scrutiny (management, social support, workload, job roles and job development) also deteriorated in the opinion of the preschool and assistant teachers participating in the study. The factor that worsened most was the workload. Interestingly, however, the relationship was weak between workload and mental well-being. Good management and social support had a positive effect on well-being. It is important that those who are responsible for preschool teachers and assistant teachers’ well-being consider these results and further analyse the causes of worsening work environment factors and the self-rated well-being of preschool and assistant teachers, two, three, five and seven years after the economic collapse in 2008. The results of the study indicate that if nothing is done to improve the work environment, self-rated mental distress may increase. It is, therefore, essential to pay close attention to factors like motivation and support from superiors, social support, and opportunity for job development, as these factors enhanced the well-being of preschool and assistant teachers. In our opinion, this will lead to a better study environment and help to to ensure excellent care and education for the children.