Self-Compassion Mediates the Associations of Mindfulness with Physical, Psychological, and Occupational Well-Being among Chinese Kindergarten Teachers
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| Title: | Self-Compassion Mediates the Associations of Mindfulness with Physical, Psychological, and Occupational Well-Being among Chinese Kindergarten Teachers |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Tuen Yung Leung (ORCID |
| Source: | Early Childhood Education Journal. 2026 54(1):307-316. |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 10 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education Preschool Education Elementary Education Kindergarten Primary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Preschool Teachers, Kindergarten, Preschool Education, Altruism, Metacognition, Well Being, Physical Health, Mental Health, Teaching Conditions, Job Satisfaction, Correlation, Life Satisfaction |
| Geographic Terms: | Hong Kong |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Satisfaction With Life Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10643-024-01819-1 |
| ISSN: | 1082-3301 1573-1707 |
| Abstract: | As the caregivers and educators of young children, kindergarten teachers often have to make spontaneous decisions and deal with challenging situations on a daily basis. The well-being of kindergarten teachers is of interest to parents, teacher trainers, and policymakers, as whether kindergarten teachers do well physically, psychologically, and occupationally has important implications for young children--the future pillars of society. Therefore, it is important to examine factors that may contribute to our understanding of the well-being of kindergarten teachers. This cross-sectional study examined whether mindfulness was linked to Chinese kindergarten teachers' physical, psychological, and occupational well-being and tested self-compassion as a mediator. Online questionnaire data were collected from 336 kindergarten teachers working in Hong Kong, China (mean age = 31.6 years; 86% of them were women). Kindergarten teachers rated their physical well-being (indicated by physical health and voice disorder symptoms), psychological well-being (indicated by life satisfaction and depressive symptoms), and occupational well-being (indicated by job satisfaction and turnover intentions) as well as their mindfulness and self-compassion. Structural equational modeling revealed that mindfulness was associated with all three aspects of well-being and self-compassion mediated such associations. Theoretically, findings highlighted the multidimensional nature of kindergarten teachers' well-being and the roles of intrapersonal factors--such as mindfulness and self-compassion--in understanding it. Practically, findings pointed to the potential utility of supporting kindergarten teachers' well-being by targeting their mindfulness and self-compassion. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1503956 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | As the caregivers and educators of young children, kindergarten teachers often have to make spontaneous decisions and deal with challenging situations on a daily basis. The well-being of kindergarten teachers is of interest to parents, teacher trainers, and policymakers, as whether kindergarten teachers do well physically, psychologically, and occupationally has important implications for young children--the future pillars of society. Therefore, it is important to examine factors that may contribute to our understanding of the well-being of kindergarten teachers. This cross-sectional study examined whether mindfulness was linked to Chinese kindergarten teachers' physical, psychological, and occupational well-being and tested self-compassion as a mediator. Online questionnaire data were collected from 336 kindergarten teachers working in Hong Kong, China (mean age = 31.6 years; 86% of them were women). Kindergarten teachers rated their physical well-being (indicated by physical health and voice disorder symptoms), psychological well-being (indicated by life satisfaction and depressive symptoms), and occupational well-being (indicated by job satisfaction and turnover intentions) as well as their mindfulness and self-compassion. Structural equational modeling revealed that mindfulness was associated with all three aspects of well-being and self-compassion mediated such associations. Theoretically, findings highlighted the multidimensional nature of kindergarten teachers' well-being and the roles of intrapersonal factors--such as mindfulness and self-compassion--in understanding it. Practically, findings pointed to the potential utility of supporting kindergarten teachers' well-being by targeting their mindfulness and self-compassion. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1082-3301 1573-1707 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10643-024-01819-1 |
