Objectives
Guided by the conservation of resources model and risk-buffering model, this study examined whether teacher overwork mediates the association between the perceived work environment and the teacher–child relationship and whether this mediating process is moderated by mindfulness in teaching.
Method
A total of 1,054 female kindergarten teachers (Mage = 28.90 ± 7.75) completed self-report questionnaires assessing their perspectives regarding the work environment, overwork, mindfulness in teaching, and the teacher–child relationship.
Results
After controlling for kindergarten teachers’ demographic characteristics, the results indicated that the perceived work environment was significantly and positively correlated with the teacher–child relationship, and this relationship was partially mediated by teacher overwork. Moderated mediation analysis further indicated that mindfulness in teaching moderated both the direct and indirect relationships between the perceived work environment and the teacher–child relationship.
Conclusions
These results extend our understanding of how the perceived work environment influences the development of the teacher–child relationship. Moreover, the protective role of mindfulness in teaching suggests that promoting mindfulness may be a useful intervention for preventing kindergarten teachers’ overwork. This could, in turn, improve the quality of teacher–child interactions and early childhood care.
Preregistration
This study was not preregistered.