Preschool Teacher Emotional Competence Profiles: Anticipating the Role of School Support and Impact on Professional Identity

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Early Childhood in China (Table 10)

Abstract

In early childhood education, teachers' emotions are vital to the teaching process and impact effectiveness. Despite their importance, the relationship between teachers' emotions and professional identity is under-researched. This study employs Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to identify three emotional competence profiles among preschool teachers: "Struggling," "Moderate," and "Flourishing," and examines their associations with perceived school support and professional identity. The findings show that "Struggling" teachers face challenges affecting their professional identity, while "Flourishing" teachers exhibit greater emotional competence and job satisfaction. Perceived school support predicts emotional competence profiles, with higher support linked to the "Moderate" profile. This study emphasizes the importance of targeted support strategies to enhance teachers' emotional competence and professional identity, highlighting the complex role of school support.

Authors

• Zhiyi Han, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Yongjia Yu, University of Hong Kong

• Jing Li, The Chinese University of Hong Kong