Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine the Relationship between Childcare Teachers' Stress, Classroom Behaviors, and Afterhours Professionalism Activities
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| Title: | Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine the Relationship between Childcare Teachers' Stress, Classroom Behaviors, and Afterhours Professionalism Activities |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jennifer Baumgartner, Carrie Ota, Cynthia DiCarlo, Rebecca Bauer, Russell Carson |
| Source: | Child Care in Practice. 2025 31(1):49-68. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Early Childhood Teachers, Stress Variables, Teaching Conditions, Teacher Burnout, Faculty Development, Planning, Teacher Responsibility, Activities, Teaching Methods, Child Care Centers |
| DOI: | 10.1080/13575279.2021.1962247 |
| ISSN: | 1357-5279 1476-489X |
| Abstract: | While the issue of teacher stress is widely recognized, little is currently known about childcare teachers' stress, its impact on teaching, and the relationship with professional activities. This study utilizes ecological momentary assessment (EMA) techniques with 50 early care teachers to examine the relationship between childcare teachers' reported stress, positive teaching practices, and participation in evening professional activities through the theoretical lens of Conservation of Resources (CoR). These results suggest that childcare teachers report higher levels of overall stress (stress intensity and stress exhaustion) when engaged in more evening professional activities and perform fewer positive classroom behaviors. When childcare teachers perceive greater stress intensity for current classroom activities, they also report higher levels of stress exhaustion. As other research suggests that professional activities promote positive classroom practices, consideration should be given to the timing of professional activities in consideration of the potential stressors created by evening professional activities. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1464088 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwFCM3iDVdBKuIBDSCKDFvfQAAAA4jCB3wYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHRMIHOAgEAMIHIBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDJesjNPGWL79BHezYAIBEICBml4Rx9OBrfwww_1mwzTUS0m33dXtHlcQK5RycPxD-tYb5-5tFskUOUR7-E8-pbTUEjLCvKeEseaGBTgAR-_aZhpF6OmqE0Zd045Z12FG8vpVM9ueEb64YoffNlLoqL9BN5purT6vwVI9gwa7UueclNId46poQyHlt4ppw6F7USI65bBQdJzjqw9epAAUVNifozQeJwIJb6aVfB0= Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0183372061;j2301jan.25;2025Mar04.04:11;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0183372061-1">Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine the Relationship Between Childcare Teachers' Stress, Classroom Behaviors, and Afterhours Professionalism Activities </title> <p>While the issue of teacher stress is widely recognized, little is currently known about childcare teachers' stress, its impact on teaching, and the relationship with professional activities. This study utilizes ecological momentary assessment (EMA) techniques with 50 early care teachers to examine the relationship between childcare teachers' reported stress, positive teaching practices, and participation in evening professional activities through the theoretical lens of Conservation of Resources (CoR). These results suggest that childcare teachers report higher levels of overall stress (stress intensity and stress exhaustion) when engaged in more evening professional activities and perform fewer positive classroom behaviors. When childcare teachers perceive greater stress intensity for current classroom activities, they also report higher levels of stress exhaustion. As other research suggests that professional activities promote positive classroom practices, consideration should be given to the timing of professional activities in consideration of the potential stressors created by evening professional activities.</p> <p>Keywords: Teacher stress; ecological momentary assessment</p> <p>The individuals who provide care for our nation's youngest groups of children face issues surrounding chronic stress, burnout, and attrition (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref1">6</reflink>]; Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref2">14</reflink>]). These factors can negatively affect the children they care for by decreasing caregiver sensitivity and the ability to respond effectively to the needs of children in their care (Decker et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref3">22</reflink>]; Gokalp, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref4">33</reflink>]; Hoglund et al., [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref5">40</reflink>]; Oberle et al., [<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref6">61</reflink>]; Whitaker et al., [<reflink idref="bib91" id="ref7">91</reflink>]). Quality teaching may decrease childcare teacher stress, in that children who are more actively engaged display fewer challenging behaviors in the classroom (Pakarinen et al., [<reflink idref="bib65" id="ref8">65</reflink>]; Rimm-Kaufman et al., [<reflink idref="bib72" id="ref9">72</reflink>]). Teachers who experience less stress provide more emotional support for children, resulting in children displaying less negativity and aggressive behavior (Sandilos et al., [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref10">74</reflink>]; Zinsser et al., [<reflink idref="bib97" id="ref11">97</reflink>]). Professional development training is a widely used practice in increasing child care teacher's skill development (Buysse &amp; Wesley, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref12">5</reflink>]; Gomez et al., [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref13">35</reflink>]; NAEYC, [<reflink idref="bib58" id="ref14">58</reflink>]; Skiffington et al., [<reflink idref="bib84" id="ref15">84</reflink>]).</p> <p>Childcare teachers engage in many <emph>professional activities</emph> each week. Professional activities is a term used to refer to both activities of professional development (e.g. workshops, webinars, self-study, independent reading) and curricular planning (e.g. lesson plans, reflections on assessments, preparing materials). Engagement in professional activities advances teachers' understanding of curricular concepts and learning trajectories development (Clements et al., [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref16">12</reflink>]; Fischer et al., [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref17">29</reflink>]) as well as teachers' instructional practices that support children's learning (Fischer et al., [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref18">29</reflink>]; Landry et al., [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref19">50</reflink>]).</p> <p>While professional activities might help increase positive teaching practices (e.g. teachers' skills, classroom quality), there are significant challenges in providing time for professional activities for teachers in childcare. Due to the nature and schedule of childcare programs, most childcare teachers are with children for the entirety of their workday, making the scheduling of training a barrier (Coleman, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref20">15</reflink>]; Gable &amp; Halliburton, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref21">32</reflink>]; Phillips et al., [<reflink idref="bib66" id="ref22">66</reflink>]). Because of this, most professional activities in childcare occur after hours, either evening (Nicholson, [<reflink idref="bib59" id="ref23">59</reflink>]; North Carolina Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, [<reflink idref="bib60" id="ref24">60</reflink>]) or on weekends (Nicholson, [<reflink idref="bib59" id="ref25">59</reflink>]). While professional activities may help increase teacher skill and classroom quality, it is unclear how participating in professional activities in the evening impacts the stress of childcare teachers and their resulting classroom behaviors. The present study sought to better understand the relationship between childcare teachers' reported stress, positive teaching practices, and participation in evening professional activities.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-2">Stress theory</hd> <p> <emph>Stress</emph> is conceptualized by researchers as more than just a response to the environment (Selye, [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref26">77</reflink>]), but as a reaction to situations of persistent hardship and unremitting demands (Savicki, [<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref27">75</reflink>]). It is essential to consider the perceptions of the individual and the fit between the environment and the individual, as well as the demands of the environment and the individual's resources to meet those demands. Stress occurs when there is a perception that demands, either from the environment or from one's self, are greater than the resources that an individual has to manage (Holroyd &amp; Lazarus, [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref28">41</reflink>]; Mikołajczyk, [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref29">57</reflink>]; Voydanoff, [<reflink idref="bib89" id="ref30">89</reflink>]). In alignment with the Conservation of Resources theory (Halbesleben et al., [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref31">36</reflink>]), consideration must be given to the existing demands placed on child care teachers and their ability to incorporate additional professional activities within their work day. In the case of child care teachers, those with less knowledge of child development and care may be more likely to experience increased occupational stress, as they may not have the resources (i.e. educational knowledge and skills) to meet the demands of caring for young children. Research suggests that child care teachers also experience external stress, as the low wages paid to child care teachers can contribute to stress (Smith &amp; Lawrence, [<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref32">85</reflink>]; Whitebook &amp; Sakai, [<reflink idref="bib94" id="ref33">94</reflink>]). Stress exhaustion can be conceptualized as the combination of emotional, physical, and mental stress (Shirom, [<reflink idref="bib82" id="ref34">82</reflink>]). If stress is what occurs when there is an imbalance between demands and resources that are available (Herman et al., [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref35">39</reflink>], p.91), the individual's perception of both the stressful event and their resources are also of critical importance (Lazarus, [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref36">51</reflink>]; Lazarus &amp; Folkman, [<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref37">52</reflink>]; Mikołajczyk, 2021; Park &amp; Folkman, [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref38">57</reflink>]). Among many identified stressors in the literature, Travers ([<reflink idref="bib88" id="ref39">88</reflink>]) identifies several causes of teacher stress including time pressures, issues with colleagues, lack of resources, workload, large class sizes, student behavior, and threats from evaluations. Researchers have attempted to understand the causes and implications of workplace stress for teachers for decades (Cumming, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref40">16</reflink>]; Hall-Kenyon et al., [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref41">38</reflink>]), but have only recently begun to specifically consider the professional work of childcare teachers and the unique context of this profession and the implications for chronic stress on this population.</p> <p>Chronic stress may influence overall mood, making the caregiver feel more depressed and tired, thus influencing motivation and energy (de Schipper et al., [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref42">20</reflink>]; Shine, [<reflink idref="bib81" id="ref43">81</reflink>]). Long-term exposure to stress can result in burnout (Maslach et al., [<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref44">56</reflink>]; O'Driscoll &amp; Cooper, [<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref45">62</reflink>]; Yu et al., [<reflink idref="bib96" id="ref46">96</reflink>]). <emph>Burnout</emph> is a reaction to chronic stress that consists of three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depolarization (disconnectedness), and reduced personal achievement (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref47">40</reflink>]; Decker et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref48">22</reflink>]). Childcare teachers with high levels of burnout may experience a diminished desire to care for others and may show negative affects, such as frustration, irritation, and anger towards children in the classroom (Decker et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref49">22</reflink>]; Gokalp, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref50">33</reflink>]; Hoglund et al., [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref51">40</reflink>]; Oberle et al., [<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref52">61</reflink>]; Whitaker et al., [<reflink idref="bib91" id="ref53">91</reflink>]). Child care teachers who chronically feel ill-prepared to meet the needs of young children are at the greatest risk of experiencing burnout. Stress and burnout can negatively affect the childcare teacher resulting in less-than-optimal care for children (Decker et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref54">22</reflink>]; Gokalp, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref55">33</reflink>]; Hale-Jinks et al., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref56">37</reflink>]; Hoglund et al., [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref57">40</reflink>]; Oberle et al., [<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref58">61</reflink>]; Savicki, [<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref59">75</reflink>]; Whitaker et al., [<reflink idref="bib91" id="ref60">91</reflink>]).</p> <p>Stress and burnout can decrease childcare teachers' sensitivity to children's needs (Hale-Jinks et al., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref61">37</reflink>]; Oberle et al. [<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref62">61</reflink>]; Savicki, [<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref63">75</reflink>]), which in turn can be detrimental to child attachment and security (Decker et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref64">22</reflink>]; Howes, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref65">42</reflink>]; Spilt et al., [<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref66">86</reflink>]). Research indicates that stressed teachers are more likely to make ineffective decisions about behavior management (Gokalp, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref67">33</reflink>]), can exhibit cold and callous behavior toward children and may respond ineffectively to children in their care (Decker et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref68">22</reflink>]), or become more controlling toward the children in their care (de Schipper et al., [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref69">21</reflink>]). All of these teacher behaviors can result in a decrease in the quality of the educational activities both planned and implemented (de Schipper et al., [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref70">21</reflink>]) and may negatively impact children's social competence (Decker et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref71">22</reflink>]; Howes, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref72">42</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-3">Childcare teacher positive teaching practices, professional activities, and stress</hd> <p>Positive teaching practices refer to those practices characterized by teacher responsivity and result in child engagement, such as responding to children's needs and allowing children to explore. There is evidence that teachers who engage in positive teaching practices may experience a lower amount of stress (Early et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref73">26</reflink>]) and lower levels of feelings of emotional exhaustion daily (Carson et al. [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref74">6</reflink>]). Teacher engagement in professional activities, including professional development and curricular planning, can support positive interactions and experiences in the classroom (Clements et al., [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref75">12</reflink>]; Early et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref76">26</reflink>]; Landry et al., [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref77">50</reflink>]; Pianta et al., [<reflink idref="bib68" id="ref78">68</reflink>]; Powell et al., [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref79">70</reflink>]; Wasik &amp; Hindman, [<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref80">90</reflink>]).</p> <p>The requirements around all types of professional activities in childcare is a complex issue due to the distinct nature of the work environment (Gomez et al., [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref81">35</reflink>]). Childcare teachers as hourly employees rarely have time in the workday to engage in planning or preparation. Engaging in professional activities can be a stressor in and of itself. Teachers report stress when spending their breaks and personal time after work in curricular preparation and additional professional development training (Coleman, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref82">15</reflink>]; Gable &amp; Halliburton, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref83">32</reflink>]; Hale-Jinks et al., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref84">37</reflink>]). Rarely are teachers given the opportunity to have a break from the pressures of preparing their lessons, often requiring additional time outside of the workday. Thus, professional development and curricular planning activities may be perceived as work overload and can lead to burnout (Hasgreaves, 1991). While it seems plausible that engaging in curricular planning for instance, could increase the quality of teaching behaviors and reduce stress during the day in the long term, it is unclear if this supposition is accurate in the short term.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-4">Present study</hd> <p>The majority of previous research investigating stress, burnout, and attrition in childcare workers have used single-testing, self-report questionnaires in which teachers recall their daily experiences at one point in time, usually the end of the day (Ciucci et al., [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref85">11</reflink>]; Renshaw et al., [<reflink idref="bib71" id="ref86">71</reflink>]; Yu et al., [<reflink idref="bib96" id="ref87">96</reflink>]). Questionnaires are limited and may not be truly representative of teachers' daily experiences, as they are often retrospective and completed long after the moment when stress was likely higher (Czikszentmihalyi &amp; Larson, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref88">17</reflink>]). As teacher stress has been correlated with unfavorable teaching practices, less desirable teacher–child relationships, lower levels of children's social competence and lower levels of child engagement (Smith &amp; Lawrence, [<reflink idref="bib86" id="ref89">86</reflink>]), reducing teacher stress is a worthy goal.</p> <p>The present study utilized an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method to provide a more proximal understanding of what childcare teachers think, feel, and do over the course of a day (Carson et al. [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref90">6</reflink>]; Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref91">8</reflink>]). This methodology poses questions that are concurrently answered through the use of alerts on mobile devices. EMA has been successfully utilized in schools to provide daily information about teachers' affect, behaviors, and the perception of student affect and behaviors (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref92">8</reflink>]; Frenzel et al., [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref93">30</reflink>]). Fewer studies have employed EMA methodology to assess childcare teachers' daily experiences (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref94">6</reflink>]). The current study used EMA techniques to examine the relationship between childcare teachers' reported stress, positive teaching practices, and participation in evening professional activities.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-5">Method</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0183372061-6">Participants and setting</hd> <p>The data for the present study was part of a sequence of studies on childcare teacher stress (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref95">9</reflink>], Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref96">6</reflink>]; Baumgartner et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref97">2</reflink>]). All 28 childcare settings within the United States in a southern state were invited to participate in the studies. Directors from five centers agreed to participate, resulting in a total pool of 70 invited childcare teachers (<emph>M </emph>= 14 teachers/center), of which, 50 teachers (71%, <emph>M </emph>= 10 teachers/center) consented. All five centers offered half and full-day programing for children aged 12 months to 5 years in moderately sized classes (<emph>M</emph> = 11.77; <emph>SD</emph> = 4.94). Center enrollments ranged from 55 to 117 (M = 86.60, SD = 25.54) and served a wide range of families on child care assistance (range, 5%−80%; M = 36.00, SD = 30.70), which is a federal funding source that covers a portion of child care costs for low-income families. While information about the number of hours child care teachers worked was not included in the data collection, most full-day centers operate from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm and full-time teachers work an 8-hour day with an hour for lunch.</p> <p>Before the implementation of the EMA portion of the study, participants completed a demographic survey that included questions such as age, gender, education, years of teaching experience, salary, and whether or not they held a second job. This data was used to provide context for the sample. All study participants (N = 50) were female childcare teachers. The majority of teachers participating identified as African American (70%) and reported an average of nearly 12 years of work experience (<emph>M</emph> = 11.74; <emph>SD</emph> = 7.9). The minimal educational requirement for childcare teachers is a high school diploma or GED. Most study participants held a high school diploma or GED (General Education Diploma, equivalent to high school diploma) (56%). The yearly salary for 58% of the sample was between $12,000 and $24,000 (adjusted) and 86% of the sample was less than $20,000. For context, the average salary for childcare teachers in Louisiana is $20,320 (Labor, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref98">49</reflink>]). In addition, 15% of child care teachers worked a second job for an average of 17 h per week. For additional context, preschool teachers' average annual income is $29,100, kindergarten teachers average $45,200, and elementary teachers average $48,620 (Labor, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref99">49</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-7">Compliance with ethical standards</hd> <p>The present study was conducted in full compliance with ethical standards. Specifically, there were no conflicts of interest in the research. All procedures and measures were approved by the appropriate office of institutional research with human subjects. All participants completed informed consent.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-8">Measures</hd> <p>EMA is a structured self-assessment technique that captures participants' views of their experiences and is captured in real-time as opposed to recollection (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref100">6</reflink>]; Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref101">8</reflink>]). In this present project, adopting an EMA approach allows for participants to share both what is happening in real-time and their emotions/stress experiences. EMA procedures were employed for five consecutive days during one workweek (Monday - Friday). The actual week for data collection was chosen based on convenience for the childcare centers. Participants were alerted four times a day and were compensated for their responses. Three of these times (time 1 = mid-morning break, time 2 = after lunch, and time 3 = end of the workday), teachers were asked to respond to questions about their stress (exhaustion levels), and positive teaching practices. Just over half (54%) of the participants responded during these prompts across the week. During only the morning prompt (time 0 = upon arrival at work) were teachers asked to report their participation in evening professional activities (planning, preparing to teach the next day, or self-study) and stress intensity.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-9">Stress exhaustion</hd> <p>At time 1, 2, and 3 participants were asked to rate their stress level across three dimensions of exhaustion: <emph>emotional</emph> (i.e. "At this point in time, how <emph>emotionally exhausted</emph> are you from your day?"), <emph>physical</emph> (i.e. "At this point in time, how <emph>physically tired</emph> are you from your day?"), or <emph>mental</emph> (i.e. "At this point in time, how <emph>mentally drained</emph> are you from your day?") on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (<emph>not at all</emph>) to 5 (<emph>extremely</emph>). The three responses were averaged to determine teachers' stress levels at each time point.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-10">Stress intensity</hd> <p>A single question was used to measure how participants perceived their overall stress intensity. At time 0, stress intensity was measured on a 1 (<emph>not at all stressed</emph>) to 5 (<emph>extremely stressed</emph>) scale using the following question: "Right now, how would you describe your current stress level?".</p> <p>While stress intensity and stress exhaustion are closely related, these two variables differ. Stress exhaustion combines the various dimensions of stress (emotional, physical, and mental), while stress intensity describes how child care teachers perceive their level of stress. A childcare teacher could experience stress exhaustion, but report low stress intensity. The stress intensity variable allowed us to understand more about the perception of the intensity of the stress experienced.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-11">Positive teaching practices</hd> <p>Seven options of positive teaching practices were listed at times 1, 2, and 3: r<emph>ecognized children's work</emph>, <emph>allowed children to explore</emph>, <emph>replied to child's question</emph>, <emph>long interaction with a child</emph>, <emph>provided individual attention</emph>, <emph>warm expression to a child</emph>, and <emph>attended to individual needs</emph> (Baumgartner et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref102">2</reflink>]). The list of seven positive teaching practices was compiled by the researchers and was informed by both professional literature. Teachers were asked to identify the positive teaching practices they had completed since the last prompt. A teachers' positive teaching practices score was based on the total number of options selected, ranging from 0 (none of the above completed) to 7 (all of the above).</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-12">Evening professional activities</hd> <p> <emph>Professional activities</emph> were defined as an activity that contributed to the teachers' work with young children and included both curricular planning or professional development. <emph>Curricular planning activities</emph> included writing lesson plans or preparing materials for the next day. <emph>Professional development</emph> included reading professional literature, being a part of a book club, or attending a professional meeting. Teachers were prompted each morning as they arrived at work (time 0) and asked to select the number of professional activities "they engaged in last night": "prepped for teaching" and "professional activities" "Last night" was substituted with "over the weekend" on Monday morning. The number of activities teachers selected each morning represented their daily evening professional activity score. For the analysis, the daily numbers were collapsed to a weekly score.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-13">Procedures</hd> <p>Data were collected over a one-week period using a pre-programed handheld mobile device (i.e. Personal Digital Assistant [PDA]) that alerted participants (via a sounded alarm) at each time point (time 0 = arrive at work, time 1 = mid-morning break, time 2 = after lunch, and time 3 = end of the workday). All childcare teachers were provided with the device and were trained on its use before study participation. EMA researchers have favored providing teachers with devices rather than allowing the use of personal devices due to the inherent data collection advantages of auto-lock, time-stamped, and downloadable and compatible data (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref103">8</reflink>]). While many options for EMA are available, PDAs offer many advantages over the paper-based EMA tools used today. Teachers were compensated up to $35 depending on the number of complete question sets answered during the study. EMA study length and protocol matched what has been deemed appropriate for teachers without adding excessive burden and diminishing data quality (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref104">6</reflink>]; Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref105">8</reflink>]). Anecdotal evidence suggests teachers' experience with the EMA procedures were largely positive and aligned with typical advantages reported by teachers (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref106">6</reflink>]; Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref107">8</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-14">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0183372061-15">Descriptives</hd> <p>Participants' responses were consistent throughout each day and over the week. The teacher's EMA responses were averaged over the five days to reflect an overall weekly view of the study variables. Two-way consistency intra-class coefficient values ranged from.74 -.96 showing high stability of responses for each time-period across the day and the week (Cicchetti, 1994). The mean number of <emph>evening professional activities</emph> childcare teachers participated in was 0.98 (range, 0–3). The teacher reported mean <emph>stress exhaustion</emph> (a combination of three exhaustion types- <emph>emotional</emph>, <emph>physical,</emph> and <emph>mental exhaustion</emph>) was 2.06 (range, 1- 5), the perceived <emph>stress intensity</emph> was 1.98 (range, 1–5), and <emph>positive teaching practices</emph> was 40.38 for the week (range, 8–86). See Table 1 for descriptives of the study variables.</p> <p>Table 1. Regression analyses summary of stress intensity, positive teaching practices and evening professional activities predicting stress exhaustion.</p> <p> <ephtml> &lt;table&gt;&lt;thead valign="bottom"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Variable&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;Stress Exhaustion&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;Stress Intensity&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;Positive Teaching Practices&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;italic&gt;B&lt;/italic&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;italic&gt;&amp;#946;&lt;/italic&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/thead&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Stress Intensity&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.78**&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.63&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.75**&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Positive Teaching Practices&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;&amp;#8722;.30*&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.01&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;&amp;#8722;.32&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;&amp;#8722;.26**&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Evening Professional Activities&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.18&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.03&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.06&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.86&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;.17*&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td&gt;Intercept =&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="."&gt;1.32&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td&gt;R&lt;sup&gt;2 &lt;/sup&gt;=.69 Adjusted R&lt;sup&gt;2 &lt;/sup&gt;=.67 R =.83*&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td char="." /&gt;&lt;td /&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt; </ephtml> </p> <p>1 *<emph>p </emph>&lt;.05, **<emph>p </emph>&lt;.01</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-16">Preliminary</hd> <p>Chi-square (χ<sups>2</sups>) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses indicated that teachers were of similar demographics (i.e. ethnicity, education level, age, years of experience, class size) across childcare centers (<emph>p</emph>-value range,.17 -.65) and stress exhaustion, evening professional activities, stress intensity, and positive teaching practices (<emph>p-</emph>value range,.13 -.81). ANOVA results for caregiver yearly income and positive teaching practices was significant, <emph>F</emph>(<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref108">2</reflink>,<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref109">38</reflink>) = 5.84, <emph>p</emph> =.006, <emph>n<sups>2</sups></emph> =.24. Childcare teacher income accounted for 24% of the variance in positive teaching practices. Follow-up pairwise comparisons showed that the childcare teachers who made less than $12,000 a year engaged in significantly less positive teaching practices in the classroom than those that made between $12,000 and $35,000 per year. Teacher income was not significantly related to other variables.</p> <p>Due to the small sample size and limited variance within each day, scores were averaged across observations across the one week. Pearson correlations indicated that teachers' stress exhaustion was significantly positively associated with stress intensity, positively associated with positive teaching practices (non-significantly), and teachers' stress exhaustion was negatively associated with evening professional activities (non-significantly).</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-17">Inferential statistics</hd> <p>Multiple regression analysis indicated that teachers' stress exhaustion was positively predicted (β =.78) by stress intensity in recent classroom activities (<emph>F</emph>[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref110">1</reflink>, 48] = 72.17; <emph>p </emph>&lt;.001, Δ<emph>R</emph><sups>2</sups> =.60) and (β =.17) evening professional activities (<emph>F</emph>[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref111">1</reflink>, 47] = 45.95; <emph>p</emph> &lt;.001, Δ<emph>R</emph><sups>2 </sups>=.06), and negatively predicted (β = -.25) by positive teaching practices (<emph>F</emph>[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref112">1</reflink>, 46] = 34.24; <emph>p</emph> &lt;.001, Δ<emph>R</emph><sups>2</sups> =.03). Collectively, these variables accounted for 69% of the variance in teachers' overall stress (See Table 1), which represents both stress intensity and stress exhaustion.</p> <p>These results suggest that when childcare teachers spend more time in evening professional activities, including professional development and curricular planning they perform fewer positive classroom behaviors, and they report higher levels of stress intensity and leading to more stress exhaustion. When childcare teachers perceive greater stress intensity for current classroom activities, they also report higher levels of stress exhaustion.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-18">Discussion</hd> <p>The present study utilized the EMA to examine childcare teachers' reported stress intensity, positive teaching practices, and participation in evening professional activities and the relationship with stress exhaustion. While previous research has focused on teacher stress (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref113">7</reflink>]; Ferguson et al., [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref114">28</reflink>]; Gokalp, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref115">33</reflink>]; Kieffer, [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref116">45</reflink>]; Kyriacou &amp; Sutcliffe, [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref117">48</reflink>]; Zinsser et al., [<reflink idref="bib97" id="ref118">97</reflink>]), fewer studies have specifically considered teacher stress in the context of childcare (Baumgartner et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref119">2</reflink>]; Jeon et al., [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref120">44</reflink>]). Even fewer studies have looked specifically at the complex relationships between stress exhaustion, stress intensity, teaching behaviors, and participation in evening professional activities. As results of the present study found that teachers who engage in evening professional activities reported increased levels of stress exhaustion, early childhood care programs should consider this information when making decisions about when and how to offer professional activities. In addition, early childhood policymakers may want to continue to push for compensation for professional activities, paid professional activities days, and support for childcare teachers to access training, both in terms of paying for the training and option of paid work leave or other compensation, as previous research has identified a relationship between childcare teacher compensation and positive outcomes for young children (Cassidy et al., [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref121">10</reflink>]; Smith &amp; Lawrence, [<reflink idref="bib85" id="ref122">85</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-19">Evening professional activities</hd> <p>Although there is a consensus on the importance of continuous training, there is reason to believe that required continuous training, instead of serving as a remedy, may actually contribute to increased stress levels (Ozer &amp; Beycioglu, [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref123">64</reflink>]; Sandilos et al., [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref124">74</reflink>]). In this study, childcare teachers reported higher levels of stress exhaustion when they spent more time engaged in evening professional activities. While at first pass this might indicate we discourage evening professional activities, there are some remaining questions. First, this study only considered the presence or absence of professional activity in the evening. Future research should consider if stress differs based on the <emph>type</emph> of activity (i.e. formal training, professional reading, curriculum planning), <emph>length</emph> of the activity or <emph>time</emph> of activity (i.e. during the work day, weekend).</p> <p>While there are several limitations, we can make some inferences about the possible meanings of the main finding by considering existing literature. Education and training are one of the strongest predictors of quality caregiver behaviors (Early et al., [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref125">25</reflink>]; Manning et al., [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref126">55</reflink>]; Pianta et al., [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref127">67</reflink>]; Whitebook, [<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref128">92</reflink>]). Other researchers have utilized professional activities to combat stress and burnout (Early et al., [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref129">25</reflink>]; Fantuzzo et al., [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref130">27</reflink>]; Hyson, [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref131">43</reflink>]). In fact, previous research suggests that teachers experiencing more work-related stressors were more likely to attend professional development training (Li-Grining et al., [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref132">53</reflink>]). Training has been associated with high-quality teacher and student interactions (Baumgartner et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref133">2</reflink>]; Early et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref134">26</reflink>]; Hale-Jinks et al., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref135">37</reflink>]; Manning et al., [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref136">55</reflink>]; Pianta et al., [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref137">67</reflink>]; Pianta et al., [<reflink idref="bib68" id="ref138">68</reflink>]). Individuals throughout the childcare profession agree on the need for training and education in order to provide the best care for children and government guidelines require or strongly suggest continuous professional development to raise child care quality by educating child care workers (Domitrovich et al., [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref139">24</reflink>]; Early et al., [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref140">25</reflink>]; Manning et al., [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref141">55</reflink>]; Pianta et al., [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref142">67</reflink>]; Whitebook, [<reflink idref="bib92" id="ref143">92</reflink>]). Given these facts, it is critical to gain a more complete understanding of this finding.</p> <p>First, the stress teachers report when engaging in more professional activities in the evening may simply be related to workload. If teachers are continuing to work and/or prepare for work for the following day in the evening, this suggests an issue with the workload. Research has consistently found the workload to be a preeminent cause of occupational stress (Ferguson et al., [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref144">28</reflink>]; Kyriacou, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref145">47</reflink>]). Breaks for rejuvenation, such as those that occur over a weekend or a vacation, can be restorative (de Bloom et al., [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref146">19</reflink>]; Fritz &amp; Sonnentag, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref147">31</reflink>]; Williams et al., [<reflink idref="bib95" id="ref148">95</reflink>]), but participation in rejuvenation activities during the workday can also be helpful for coping with occupational stress (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref149">6</reflink>]). Regular engagement with professional activities in the evening could interfere with opportunities for relaxation, family connection, or individual personal fulfillment, therefore increasing the likelihood of a stress cycle that could lead to burnout. Future research could tease out these complexities.</p> <p>The timing of the professional activity may be a significant factor. Engaging in additional study after a full workday may result in additional stress, in combination with taking time away from family responsibilities. Research suggests that not only workload but also work hours are strong predictors of occupational stress (Clipa &amp; Boghean, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref150">14</reflink>]; Skaalvik &amp; Skaalvik, [<reflink idref="bib83" id="ref151">83</reflink>]). The additional hours focused on thinking about work during the day with evening professional activities could explain the increase in stress. Instead, offering a professional day set aside for training might support the goal of professional activities and not result in additional stress. Future research is needed to investigate the timing of professional activities and childcare teacher stress levels. The use of EMA could be particularly helpful in this work as it would allow for the investigation of childcare teachers' stress levels in real-time and across time.</p> <p>Additionally, the type of professional activities may be of particular importance. Professional development focused more on professional development such as reading professional literature, being a part of a book club, or attending a professional meeting in the evening may all help extend learning but are not all the same kind of experience. Researchers have found that one-time workshops may not be as effective as more intense professional activities (Clements, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref152">13</reflink>]; Scott et al., [<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref153">76</reflink>]). Different types of professional development also offer different levels of external support (Rodriguez et al., [<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref154">73</reflink>]. For example, attending a professional meeting or workshop might allow a childcare teacher to learn from experts (Gomez et al., [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref155">35</reflink>]), connect with other childcare professionals (Rodriguez et al., [<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref156">73</reflink>]), and engage in reciprocal coaching (Ben-Peretz et al., [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref157">4</reflink>]). Conversely, while there are social benefits to group learning, childcare teachers who read professional literature on their own might feel a sense of isolation as they work to take in new information independently (Bautista et al., [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref158">3</reflink>]). Furthermore, none of this speaks to the pressures of other types of professional activities such as curricular work. As we continue our efforts to increase childcare quality and support childcare teachers' professional development, future research should consider childcare teachers' engagement with different types of professional activities in the evenings and the impact on their occupational stress.</p> <p>As programs and policymakers seek to increase the amount of required training for childcare workers, it is critical that we carefully considered the impact of the training on childcare teachers' stress levels. The present research suggests that this concern may be particularly true among teachers who already perceive high-stress intensity in their positions. The nature of childcare services creates barriers in teachers acquisition of professional activities (Coleman, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref159">15</reflink>]; Gable &amp; Halliburton, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref160">32</reflink>]; Olsen, [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref161">63</reflink>]; Sheridan et al., [<reflink idref="bib78" id="ref162">78</reflink>]), with the most commonly reported barriers of inconvenient scheduling and distance (Sheriden et al., [<reflink idref="bib79" id="ref163">79</reflink>]). Other reported barriers to training included the limited notice of opportunity, quality of the instruction, and lack of compensation provided for attending training (Coleman, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref164">15</reflink>]; Gable &amp; Halliburton, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref165">32</reflink>]; Hale-Jinks et al., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref166">37</reflink>]). While the types of professional activities accessed by the participants during the evenings is unknown, research suggests that the quality of professional activities does make a difference (Deardorff, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref167">18</reflink>]; Lind, [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref168">54</reflink>]; Porter et al., [<reflink idref="bib69" id="ref169">69</reflink>]; Singer et al., [<reflink idref="bib80" id="ref170">80</reflink>]). Attending to childcare teachers' perceptions of stress intensity is important when planning for professional activities, as those with a perception that their job is stress filled may not be best served by additional professional activities at the end of the workday.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-20">Positive teaching practices</hd> <p>In the present study, childcare teachers who reported higher levels of stress exhaustion performed fewer of the seven identified positive teaching practices (e.g. recognized children's work, allowed children to explore, replied to child's question, long interaction with a child, attended to individual needs, warm expression to a child, and provided individual attention). This finding is consistent with previous research (Baumgartner et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref171">2</reflink>]; Jeon et al., [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref172">44</reflink>]), in which teachers reported that when they engage children in developmentally appropriate activities, they experience less stress.</p> <p>A possible explanation is that when childcare teachers were offered prompts about each of the seven positive teaching practices, childcare teachers may have said "no" because they did not know that these practices are recommended for working with young children or did not understand when to use the prompts. A childcare teacher who does not have the resources necessary for the job (i.e. the education and/or training) would be expected to experience stress, as the demands of the job exceed her or his resources.</p> <p>As we seek to expand our understanding of stress in the lives of childcare teachers, it is helpful to know that the stressful occurrences at specific times or during specific activities in the day's routine can be significant. In terms of interventions, it may be helpful to focus on developing interventions that can be utilized within the moment, such as mindfulness strategies. Evidence suggests that mindfulness strategies can be useful to teachers because they can be utilized in specific moments of stress and implemented in classroom settings (DiCarlo et al., [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref173">23</reflink>]; Gold et al., [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref174">34</reflink>]). Some of the strategies could be introduced in childcare settings as the present study indicated that these moments are a source of stress for childcare teachers.</p> <p>An interesting finding was the relationship between income and childcare teacher classroom behavior. Those teachers with fewer resources (i.e. those making less than $10,000/year) engaged in fewer positive teaching practices. This finding suggests that factors outside of the workplace (e.g. financial concerns) may lead to teacher stress in the workplace and is consistent with previous research regarding the connections between quality and teacher pay (King et al., [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref175">46</reflink>]; St. Clair-Christmas et al., [<reflink idref="bib87" id="ref176">87</reflink>]). In 2015, the National Association for the Education of Young Children addressed this issue in its position statement on quality and compensation among early childhood programs (Allvin, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref177">1</reflink>]). Yet today the issue remains. Many have sought to increase the professionalism of the staff with additional training and education. However, without the expectation of additional compensation to accompany this training, many childcare teachers have been reluctant to invest additional resources, such as time, money, or energy. Future policy decisions that seek to increase the quality of childcare programs and the professionalism of the childcare workforce must address both compensation and career path.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-21">Limitations and implications for research</hd> <p>The findings of the present investigation of childcare teachers' stress support some generally accepted ideas with empirical evidence, specifically, teachers' reduced use of positive teaching behavior and stress and higher levels of overall stress (stress intensity and stress exhaustion) when teachers spend more time in evening professional activities. There are, however, limitations to the present project and opportunities for future research.</p> <p>First, positive teaching practices were presented as a list of developmentally appropriate and engaging practices. As part of the EMA protocol and teachers' self-report, these practices were not meant to reference overall teacher quality; instead, they were a list of distinct practices that are recommended and deemed as developmentally appropriate practices. The list of positive teaching practices was not a normed instrument, but rather developed as part of a related study (Baumgartner et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref178">2</reflink>]) and informed by professional knowledge. Since many of the items came from childcare providers as examples of activities that they saw as being important and a part of their day, these were deemed an authentic list of prompts. However, the authors recognize that the list of seven items is not exhaustive and does not include all possible positive teaching practices. Future work should further develop these prompts and consider the relationships between overall childcare teacher quality and stress.</p> <p>Moreover, the information about evening professional activity gathered by the EMA data collection strategy is minimal. We only know since the previous afternoon, respondents believed they had engaged in "professional activity" during evening hours. This activity could include workshops, required staff meetings, planning, or reading professional books. Indeed, there is great variability in these types of activities. As we seek to understand stress among childcare teachers, teachers' <emph>perceptions</emph> are key, as are appropriate points of measurement. Future research should investigate more fully the distinctions of stress levels and different types of professional activities. Future research should investigate how teachers are using time during the work day for professional activities. While the demographic data included a question about second jobs, due to small sample size, we were unable to fully explore the connections between a second job and childcare teacher stress.</p> <p>EMA data collection provides information on participants' real-time emotions and experiences. The present study collected childcare teachers' experiences across a one-week span. This approach is consistent with other EMA research (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref179">6</reflink>]; Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref180">8</reflink>]). However, it is possible that extending this window could provide additional information about childcare teachers' experiences. Specifically, we could better understand the implications of childcare teachers' chronic stress versus a day of workplace stress. Future research might also include direct observations of teaching behaviors instead of relying on teachers' reports and their relationships to teachers' stress levels. This information could expand our understanding of the relationships between stress and teacher performance in childcare settings. EMA teacher studies range from 3 to 10 consecutive days (Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref181">6</reflink>]; Carson et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref182">8</reflink>]). The current study falls within this range. Only 20 out of the 50 participating teachers (40%) received full compensation. One theory may be that being prompted 4 times a day for one week may have been too repetitive within the context of their work day.</p> <p>An additional limitation is the inclusion of information on outside stressors experienced by teachers. It is widely known for decades that the field of early care is low paid (King et al., [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref183">46</reflink>]; Whitebook et al., [<reflink idref="bib93" id="ref184">93</reflink>]). Research suggests that teachers' financial well-being impacts their stress level (King et al., [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref185">46</reflink>]; St. Clair-Christmas et al., [<reflink idref="bib87" id="ref186">87</reflink>]). While 15% of the participants in this study disclosed holding a second job, we were unable to further unpack the possible impacts of this additional stressor on childcare teachers. Future research should examine the impact of factors outside of job responsibilities that may impact teacher stress.</p> <p>There is more to learn about how childcare teachers handle momentary stress within the classroom. The use of the EMA technique, in combination with observational methods, could increase our understanding of these issues. Finally, more longitudinal, large-scale studies, and qualitative investigations of childcare teachers' stress and professional activities will increase the knowledge base to further understand teachers' experiences within the classroom. Ultimately, this research could lead to recommendations regarding the type and timing of training that would be most effective for impacting practice and minimizing childcare teacher stress levels.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-22">Summary</hd> <p>The present study offers some insight into the relationships among childcare teachers' perception of stress intensity, engagement in professional activities, use of positive teaching practices, and stress exhaustion. Childcare teachers reported higher levels of stress exhaustion when they engaged in more evening professional activities and performed fewer positive classroom behaviors. Future research and training should further investigate the relationship between teaching practices and teacher stress to better understand the role of skill, knowledge, and experience in relation to job stress. The finding that teachers who perceived their work as highly stressful and those who engaged in professional activities in the evening reported higher levels of stress exhaustion has important implications for research and practice as well. It is essential to attend to the stress perceptions of childcare teachers before implementing or requiring professional activities. Additionally, the role of resources for childcare teachers' job stress should be a focus of additional inquiry.</p> <hd id="AN0183372061-23">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <ref id="AN0183372061-24"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref110" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Allvin, R. E. (2020). Why Aren't We Paying Early Childhood Educators What They're Worth ? 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NHSA Dialog, 16 (2), 90 – 108.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Jennifer Baumgartner; Carrie Ota; Cynthia DiCarlo; Rebecca Bauer and Russell Carson</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Jennifer Baumgartner is an associate professor in the School of Education. She teaches in the PK-3 teacher certification program and early childhood education graduate program. Her research centers around two major issues: 1.) how philosophies and/or knowledge are translated into practices in children's developmental contexts and, 2.) stress among teachers and children in early care settings. Her work is published in several journals, including Journal of Health Psychology , Early Child Development and Care , Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education and Young Children. She has experience directing early child development laboratory schools and teaches critical perspectives in early childhood education, child development and stress in education courses. She serves as co-faculty advisor to the LSU student chapter of the Association for the Education of Young Children.</p> <p>Carrie L. Ota is an associate professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies in the Jerry &amp; Vickie Moyes College of Education at Weber State University. Her research focus includes early care and education, adult learning, child development, and adult-child interactions. She currently teaches courses in human development and introduction and advanced curriculum and planning for young children. Her research on children's attention during whole group instruction received the 2012 research paper of the year from the Journal of Research in Childhood Education and has been recognized for her teaching excellence receiving the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Early EdU Alliance and NAECTE Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator Award.</p> <p>Cynthia Fontcuberta DiCarlo , PhD, holds the W.H. "Bill" LeBlanc LSU Alumni Association Departmental Endowed Professorship of Early Childhood Education and is the Executive Director of the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool at LSU. DiCarlo also serves as the Coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Teacher Education Program and her research focuses on interventions to improve outcomes for young children and clarification and innovations in recommended practices in early childhood. Prior to joining LSU in 2004, she was a Clinical Assistant Professor at LSU Health Sciences Center (New Orleans). Dr. DiCarlo has been recognized for her research, teaching and service; her research on children's attention during whole group instruction received the 2012 Research Paper of the Year from the Journal of Research in Childhood Education ; she was recognized for excellence in teaching receiving the Tiger Athletic Foundation Teaching Award (2010). Additionally, she has received recognition for her service, receiving the College of Human Sciences and Education Faculty Service Award (2016) and the Louisiana Champions of Service Volunteer of the Year: Plantation Region (2013). Dr. DiCarlo has incorporated her passion for research into the courses she teaches and her work in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. Since its inception in 2014, Dr. DiCarlo has mentored 67 undergraduate students who have subsequently presented at LSU Discover Day. She currently serves on the editorial boards for Infants &amp; Young Children and for the Journal of Teacher Action Research.</p> <p>Rebecca Bauer is a doctoral candidate in Developmental Science at the University of Alabama. Her research interests include examining how imaginative play is related to children's school readiness skills, specifically creativity, executive functioning, and socioemotional development.</p> <p>Russell Carson is a passionate and notable scholar on topics of comprehensive health and wellness in/around school and early childcare settings. He has 20 years of experience as a university Professor, applied researcher, and published author, holding degrees in PreK-12 physical education, sport psychology, and health and kinesiology. Russ joined PlayCore in 2019 as a Research and Health &amp; Wellness Advisor and works remotely from Colorado as a dedicated champion of active learning and living with family.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib61" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib91" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib65" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib72" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib74" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib97" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib58" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib84" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib12" 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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1464088 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine the Relationship between Childcare Teachers' Stress, Classroom Behaviors, and Afterhours Professionalism Activities – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+Baumgartner%22">Jennifer Baumgartner</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carrie+Ota%22">Carrie Ota</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cynthia+DiCarlo%22">Cynthia DiCarlo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rebecca+Bauer%22">Rebecca Bauer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Russell+Carson%22">Russell Carson</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Child+Care+in+Practice%22"><i>Child Care in Practice</i></searchLink>. 2025 31(1):49-68. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 20 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Teachers%22">Early Childhood Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stress+Variables%22">Stress Variables</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Conditions%22">Teaching Conditions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Burnout%22">Teacher Burnout</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Planning%22">Planning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Responsibility%22">Teacher Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Activities%22">Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Care+Centers%22">Child Care Centers</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1080/13575279.2021.1962247 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1357-5279<br />1476-489X – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: While the issue of teacher stress is widely recognized, little is currently known about childcare teachers' stress, its impact on teaching, and the relationship with professional activities. This study utilizes ecological momentary assessment (EMA) techniques with 50 early care teachers to examine the relationship between childcare teachers' reported stress, positive teaching practices, and participation in evening professional activities through the theoretical lens of Conservation of Resources (CoR). These results suggest that childcare teachers report higher levels of overall stress (stress intensity and stress exhaustion) when engaged in more evening professional activities and perform fewer positive classroom behaviors. When childcare teachers perceive greater stress intensity for current classroom activities, they also report higher levels of stress exhaustion. As other research suggests that professional activities promote positive classroom practices, consideration should be given to the timing of professional activities in consideration of the potential stressors created by evening professional activities. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1464088 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1464088 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/13575279.2021.1962247 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 20 StartPage: 49 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Teachers Type: general – SubjectFull: Stress Variables Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching Conditions Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Burnout Type: general – SubjectFull: Faculty Development Type: general – SubjectFull: Planning Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Responsibility Type: general – SubjectFull: Activities Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Child Care Centers Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine the Relationship between Childcare Teachers' Stress, Classroom Behaviors, and Afterhours Professionalism Activities Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Jennifer Baumgartner – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Carrie Ota – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cynthia DiCarlo – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Rebecca Bauer – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Russell Carson IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1357-5279 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1476-489X Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 31 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Child Care in Practice Type: main |
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