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Racial Differences in Early Childhood Teachers’ Working Conditions and Well-Being

Sun, April 14, 7:45 to 9:15am, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 3, Room 306

Abstract

In the past decade, increasing attention has been paid to early childhood teachers’ well-being as an important factor potentially impacting teachers’ beliefs in developmentally appropriate practices, their implementation of high-quality experiences for young children in care, and children’s behavioral problems (Jeon et al., 2018; Kwon et al., 2019; Roberts et al., 2016). In fact, researchers have raised concerns that many early childhood teachers struggle with poor physical and psychological well-being (Kwon et al., 2020; Otten et al., 2019; Whitaker et al., 2013). These problems add to and complicate the issues experienced by those in the early childhood workforce overall who, despite high job expectations, experience low pay and a lack of systemic workforce appreciation. Some researchers further argue that early childhood teachers of color are disproportionally placed in poorer working conditions. For example, Black teachers were more likely than teachers of other races/ethnicities to work in low-wage centers (McLean et al., 2021). However, there is limited evidence available on various working conditions and the status of teachers’ well-being that varies by race/ethnicity. Thus, in the present study, we examined racial differences in the working conditions and well-being of our national sample of ECE teachers.

Method

We collected national data on whole teacher well-being (i.e., physical, psychological, and professional well-being, Kwon et al., 2022) and working conditions, including job demands and resources. Participants were recruited through various routes, including postings on social media, a purchased list of teachers, and emails to professional organizations and centers/schools in the U.S. The online survey yielded 566 valid survey responses from eligible participants. Teacher ages ranged from 18 to 72 years and were predominantly female (98%). In terms of racial and ethnic background, teachers in our sample were approximately 64% Caucasian, 10% African American, 4% Indigenous, 15% Hispanic/Latino/a, 4% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 4% reporting as multiracial or biracial identity. Approximately 50% of the sample held a Bachelor’s degree or higher. We used a newly developed comprehensive measure of early childhood teachers’ working conditions and various measures on whole teacher well-being that are widely used and validated (Authors, under review). We conducted a one-way ANOVA and a series of regressions for the analysis.

Results and Discussion
The findings of the preliminary analysis showed that African American and Hispanic teachers received lower wages than other racial groups (p < .001 and p < .01, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the benefits paid by an employer and how they perceived wages (e.g., I make enough to pay my bills, I am paid fairly for the work I do) and benefits among racial groups. Overall, White teachers consistently reported higher job demands (i.e., physical, social/psychological, and professional) and fewer resources as well as poorer psychological well-being than Black teachers. Native American groups demonstrated a similar pattern as White teachers. This highlights the importance of examining the working conditions across different racial groups and how it has an impact on the perception of teachers’ well-being.

Authors