Self-Control during Pre-Service Predicts Emotional Problems and Turnover Intention of Beginning Early Childhood Educators in Hong Kong:Testing a School-to-Work Moderated Mediation Model

• In Event: Global Perspectives on Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Well-Being and Working Conditions

Abstract

Emotional problems and turnover are concerning issues among Hong Kong early childhood educators (Education Bureau, 2024; Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, 2019). Beginning teachers may be particularly vulnerable to these issues because they often encounter adjustment challenges (e.g., fitting in the organization; Lu & Yin, 2016) and have not yet formed a strong professional identity (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Overcoming adjustment challenges for a smooth school-to-work transition requires the exertion of self-control (Author, 2021b). Moreover, teachers’ adjustment also depends (in part) on contextual factors, such as a warm, supportive work climate (Desrumaux et al., 2023). In this study, we examined an underexplored idea, such that the individual differences in self-control during the pre-service training period predicts emotional well-being and turnover intention at work through shaping work adjustment. Moreover, we also examined the extent to which the association between adjustment and turnover intention is moderated by work climate.

Between January and May 2023 (T1), we collected data from graduate students who majored in early childhood education (ECE) in all the ECE training institutes in Hong Kong (N=783). In October 2024 (T2), we followed up with these students. A total of 318 eligible participants who had become in-service early childhood educators took part in the survey again and provided complete data (Mage=22.40 years; 64.5% working as kindergarten teachers; 86.1% earning less than HK$ 25,000/month; Mwork experience=2.29 months). At T1, they reported self-control ability (α=.81). At T2, they reported work adjustment (α=.87), emotional problems (α=.73), turnover intention (α=.81), and work climate (α=.87).

Results of descriptive statistics (Table 3) showed that participants reported medium levels of turnover intention at the very beginning of teaching career (M=2.81/5), but the levels of emotional problems were low (M=0.77/3). Results of the main analyses for turnover intention showed that after controlling for several covariates, self-control predicted better work adjustment and work adjustment was related to lower turnover intention (Figure 2). The interaction effect between work adjustment and work climate on turnover intention was significant, with this association being more pronounced for teachers having better work climate than those having poorer work climate (Figure 3). Finally, the moderated mediation effect index was significant (B=-0.04, 95% bootstrapped CI=[-0.08, -0.01]).

Specifically, the indirect effect of work adjustment was significant for those with a good work climate (B=-0.11, 95% bootstrapped CI=[-0.21, -0.04]) but not for those with a poor work climate (B=-0.05, 95% bootstrapped CI=[-0.12, 0.00]). Results of main analyses for emotional problems showed that after controlling for the same covariates, self-control predicted fewer emotional problems through facilitating work adjustment (Figure 4), with significant indirect effects regardless of poor (B=-0.09, 95% bootstrapped CI=[-0.15, -0.03]) or good (B=-0.08, 95% bootstrapped CI=[-0.13, -0.03]) work climate.

Theoretically, this study advances our understanding of how individual (e.g., self-control) and contextual (e.g., work climate) factors in shaping Hong Kong beginning early childhood educators’ turnover intention and emotional well-being. Practically, these findings inform ECE training institutes (e.g., universities) and sectors (e.g., kindergartens) about how to mitigate beginning teachers’ turnover intention and foster their emotional well-being.

Author

• Jianbin Li, The Education University of Hong Kong