A mixed-methods approach to understanding early childhood special educators’ well-being

Abstract

Recent research illustrates several gaps in understanding about teacher experiences of professional well-being, as well as how teachers understand and define their well-being. Given the limited understanding of the construct and correlates of teacher well-being and the omission of theoretical models in the development of prevention efforts and supports for teachers' mental health, it is valuable to investigate the translation and application of positive psychological well-being perspectives to better understand optimal teacher functioning. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the purpose of this study was to explore teacher well-being and its influence on teacher burnout/attrition. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to analyze data collected from a 76-item survey completed by 131 early childhood teachers. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 13 teachers to confirm or identify discrepancies within the quantitative results. Findings from the survey data and interview data revealed three profiles of Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) teacher well-being, and qualitative interviews suggested that well-being related needs of these teachers varied. The results of this study address several gaps in the research and provide practical information for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.