Poster #219 - Predicting Job Satisfaction and Turnover in Child Care: The Early Childhood Professional Well-being Questionnaire (ECPW-Q)

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Social Policy

Integrative Statement

Approximately 27% of early childhood care and education professionals 'turnover,' or leave positions or the field annually, a phenomenon considered detrimental to quality in child care. The quality of care and education experienced by young children may also be harmed when professionals remain in their positions, despite being dissatisfied and unhappy to the point of becoming preoccupied or distracted from their roles as caregivers and teachers.

The researchers conceptualized Early Childhood Professional Well-being (ECPW) as a way to consider factors that enhance or diminish a professionals' capacity to care for and educate young children optimally, with full and mindful focus on their job -- a key element of quality care. An adaptation of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Vygotsky's notions of perezhivanie (lived experience cognitively and emotionally), along with literature related to well-being, framed the initial holistic conceptualization of ECPW. Study aims included using the researchers' Early Childhood Professional Well-being Questionnaire (ECPW-Q) to: (1) refine the model of ECPW; and (2) examine the ECPW as a predictor of self-reported job satisfaction and 'risk of turnover' (stated intention to leave position and/or field). A primary assumption is that understanding ECPW will lead to practices and policies that will help increase job satisfaction, decrease turnover, and support education professionals' capacity to care and educate optimally by helping early childhood professionals thrive, flourish, and be fulfilled by their work with young children and families.

This exploratory quantitative analysis included a convenience sample of 218 early childhood professionals, including lead and assistant caregivers/teachers and administrators/directors. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed three factors in the ECPW-Q, interpreted as: Supportive Structures (organization of environment and emotional climate), Collegial Relationships (nature of interactions between/among adults in the community), and Professional Autonomy (choices in practice, participation in decision-making). Results from path analysis (shown in table in text of paper) found that higher levels of supportive structures significantly affect an ECCE professionals’ overall job satisfaction ( = 2.19, < .05), stated intention to leave the current position or not ( = 3.43, < 0.01), and stated intention to leave the field ( = 4.30, < .001). In addition, stronger collegial relationships were found to significantly affect job satisfaction ( = 5.27, <.001) but did not have a significant effect on one’s intention (or not) to leave the current position or field. Higher levels of professional autonomy were found to significantly affect overall job satisfaction ( = 3.75, <.001), and absence of intention to leave the field ( = 2.75, <.01) but did not have a significant effect on one’s intention to leave or stay in their current position.

The results of this study have implications for policy-makers, child care program administrators, and those who assess quality in child care settings. The findings of this study suggest that effort should be put forth to ensure supportive structures, promote a sense of belonging within a community of practice, and support the professional identity and autonomy of qualified professionals in order to increase job satisfaction, ensure capacity to care, and decrease turnover.

Authors

• Mary B. McMullen, Indiana University Bloomington
  Non-Presenting Author

• Melissa S.C. Lee, Indiana University Bloomington
  Presenting Author

• Kate I. McCormick, State University of New York College at Cortland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jieun Choi, Indiana University Bloomington
  Non-Presenting Author