Dark Emotions Are Not Always Bad: The Role of Emotions and Professional Training in Predicting Patterns of Engagement and Burnout Among Preschool Teachers.

Preschool teachers' work engagement is a pivotal factor influencing children's developmental outcomes, classroom climate, and overall educational quality. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study investigates how perceived organizational support (POS) affects work engagement (WE) through the mediating mechanism of psychological empowerment (PE). Using validated scales adapted for Chinese preschool teachers—including Preschool Teachers' Perceived Organizational Support Scale, Preschool Teachers' Psychological Empowerment Scale, and Preschool Teachers' Work Engagement Scale. The research framework was tested using survey data collected from 353 Preschool teachers in 17 kindergartens in Shaanxi Province, China. The empirical results reveal statistically significant positive relationships (p<0.01) among the three core constructs - POS, PE, and WE - as well as between each of their subdimensions, as measured by Pearson correlation analysis. To systematically examine the mechanisms underlying teacher engagement, this study utilizes structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS software to explore the connections among POS, PE, and WE. The AMOS-based SEM analysis confirmed that POS directly enhances WE while also exerting an indirect effect through the mediating pathway of PE. The model demonstrated good fit indices, validating the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, organizational support fosters teachers' sense of meaning, autonomy, self-efficacy, and impact - the core dimensions of PE - which in turn strengthens their WE. These findings underscore that when teachers perceive organizational support—through fair policies, resource provision, and leadership recognition—they experience greater empowerment in their roles, subsequently enhancing their motivation and commitment. The study provides empirical evidence that kindergarten administrators should implement dual-focused interventions: (1) strengthen organizational support systems, and (2) cultivate empowerment via participatory decision-making and professional development. Such strategies can sustain teacher engagement, ultimately elevating early childhood education quality and child development outcomes.

AimThe aim was to examine the subgroups of work engagement in frontline nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic.BackgroundThe pandemic may affect the work engagement of nurses who have direct contact with infected patients and lead to a poor quality of care. Identifying classification features of work engagement and tailoring interventions to support frontline nurses is imperative.DesignThis study utilized a cross‐sectional study design.MethodsThree hundred fifty‐five nurses were enrolled in this cross‐sectional study from 14 February to 15 April 2020. A latent profile analysis was performed to identify classification features of work engagement. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine predictors of profile membership.ResultsA four‐profile model provided the best fit. The four profiles were titled ‘low work engagement’ (n = 99), ‘high vigour‐low dedication and absorption’ (n = 58), ‘moderate work engagement’ (n = 63) and ‘high work engagement’ (n = 135). A regression analysis suggested that young nurses and nurses who were the only children of their family were more likely to be in the ‘low work engagement’ and ‘high vigour‐low dedication and absorption’ groups.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of tailoring interventions for frontline supporting nurses by considering their distinct work engagement patterns, especially during the COVID‐19 pandemic, to improve the promotion of work satisfaction and quality of care.ImpactThis was the first study to explore the latent profiles of work engagement in frontline nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Over 40% of nurses were in the ‘low work engagement’ and ‘high vigour‐low dedication and absorption’ groups and reported low levels of work engagement. Understanding different patterns of work engagement in frontline nurses can help nursing managers provide emotional, material and organizational support based on the features of each latent profile, which may improve the quality of care and patient safety.

Background: Specialty nurses play a crucial role in improving the quality of nursing care. Enhancing the work engagement of specialty nurses is a top priority for managers. Job crafting is an effective way to increase nurses' work engagement. Identifying and classifying features of work engagement, exploring their relationship with job crafting, and tailoring interventions to support specialty nurses are imperative. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Henan Province, China from July 2023 to August 2023. The study sample consisted of 758 specialty nurses who participated in an online survey. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify work engagement classification criteria. Multinomial logistic regression models were usedto identify the predictors of profile inclusion. Results:A four­profile model yielded the best fit. The four profiles were titled “low work engagement” (n = 210), “medium work engagement” (n = 172), “high attitude-high enthusiasm” (n = 229), and “high work engagement” (n = 147). The regression analysis indicated that gender, age, level of education, monthly income, and job crafting all had significant effects on the work profile categories (P<0.05). Conclusions: The characteristics of specialty nurses’ work engagement are heterogeneous and can be divided into four profiles. Our findings indicated that gender, education level, monthly income, and job crafting impact the varying types of work engagement exhibited by specialty nurses. We recommend that nursing managers adopt effective measures, such as flexible scheduling and improved job management, to enhance specialty nurses’ work engagement.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the education and healthcare sectors were severely affected. There is a need to investigate the ways in which these workers in at-risk sectors can be protected and through what mechanisms. The aims of this research are, therefore, (1) to assess the mediating role of job demands and resources in the relationship between psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and work engagement and emotional exhaustion, and (2) to test for sector-specific differences among education and healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the study, which employed a longitudinal design including three measurement times, 70 education professionals and 69 healthcare professionals completed a questionnaire measuring PSC, psychological demands, social support, recognition, work engagement, and emotional exhaustion. The results show that PSC was significantly higher among education professionals than among healthcare professionals. When considering both job sectors together, mediation analyses show that social support mediates the PSC-work engagement relationship, while psychological demands mediate the PSC-emotional exhaustion relationship. Moderated mediation analyses show that job sector is a moderator: among education professionals, colleague support and recognition mediate the PSC-work engagement relationship, and psychological demands mediate the PSC-emotional exhaustion relationship. PSC is associated with more balanced job demands and resources, higher work engagement, and lower emotional exhaustion among education and healthcare professionals. The study of these two sectors, which are both vital to society but also more exposed to adverse work conditions, shows the importance that managers and executives must attach to their mental health by improving their respective working conditions.

COVID-19 has dramatically affected the mental health and work environment of the educational sector. Our primary aim was to investigate preschool teachers’ psychological distress and work engagement during the COVID-19 outbreak, while examining the possible protective role of participating in a mindfulness-based intervention geared to foster compassion (Call2Care-Israel for Teachers; C2C-IT) and emotion regulation. The prevalence of emotional distress, work engagement, and COVID-19 concerns were evaluated in 165 preschool teachers in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel through questionnaires. The findings showed that preschool teachers experienced increased emotional distress. Teachers who had participated in the C2C-IT intervention six months before the pandemic outbreak (N = 41) reported lower emotional distress, higher use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies, and higher work engagement, compared to their counterparts that had not participated in the intervention (N = 124). Emotion regulation strategies mediated the link between participating in CTC-IT intervention and emotional distress and work engagement. Teaching is a highly demanding occupation, especially during a pandemic, thus making it important to invest resources in empowering this population. The findings here suggest that the implementation of a mindfulness-based intervention during the school year can enhance teachers’ well-being, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Chinese preschool teachers’ organizational justice and work engagement, with a particular focus on the mediating role of professional identity and the moderating role of perceived organizational support. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 793 preschool teachers using whole cluster random sampling. The results showed that: (1) organizational justice significantly and positively predicted preschool teachers’ work engagement; (2) professional identity partially mediated the relationship between preschool teachers’ organizational justice and work engagement; and (3) perceived organizational support moderated the relationship between organizational justice and work engagement. The results of this study inspire us that in order to increase preschool teachers’ work engagement and achieve high-quality kindergarten development, it is necessary to pay attention to preschool teachers’ professional identity and perceived organizational support based on the importance of organizational justice.

The research presented in this paper was conducted in 2024 in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia. The aim of the study was to examine the level of preschool teachers' motivation for professional development in the field of fostering early childhood development (ECD) and to determine whether differences in motivation exist depending on years of work experience and level of education. Additionally, the study aimed to provide a broader insight into the frequency and methods of professional development that preschool teachers have undertaken in this field. The theoretical framework of the research is based on motivation theories (Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation and selfdetermination theory). In the context of preschool education reforms, professional development is crucial for implementing modern approaches in practice. The research had an exploratory character, and the sample was convenient (N = 91 preschool teachers). The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical program, applying descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequencies, and percentages) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine statistically significant differences. The results indicated a high level of motivation (4.37 on a five-point scale) among preschool teachers for professional development in fostering early childhood development. Statistically significant differences were found in selfassessed motivation based on years of work experience, F (3, 85) = 3.953, p = .011. Further analysis revealed that the level of education had a statistically significant impact on motivation for professional development, but only in the context of working with gifted children, F (4, 84) = 3.777, p = .007. Although participants expressed a high level of motivation, as many as 38.5% of preschool teachers reported that they had not yet engaged in professional development in this field, indicating a potential gap between declared motivation and its realization. The findings can contribute to improving educational practices and professional development strategies, serving as a foundation for developing various forms of training and enhancing higher education for future preschool teachers. Additionally, the study opens avenues for further research aimed at fostering the well-being of children in early childhood.

AimThis study explored the latent classes of psychological empowerment. In addition, we analyzed their relationship with perceptions of decent work and work engagement, thereby providing a scientific basis for enhancing work engagement among rural nurses.BackgroundMost studies focus on nurses working in urban areas, with relatively fewer investigations examining those in rural healthcare institutions. While many studies have explored psychological empowerment, decent work perception, and work engagement, few have analyzed the relationships from the perspective of psychological empowerment.MethodsThe sample consisted of clinical nurses from 3 rural healthcare institutions in Hunan Province, China. The nurses’ general information, psychological empowerment, decent work perception, and work engagement scores were assessed using the General Information Scale, Decent Labor Perception Scale, Psychological Empowerment Scale, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, respectively. Furthermore, latent profile analysis and moderation analysis were performed.ResultsThe total scores of rural nurses’ work engagement were 62.85 (±15.44). Rural nurses’ psychological empowerment exists in three latent categories: low psychological empowerment, competent but constrained, and high psychological empowerment. Level 1 hospitals (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.24–3.09, p = 0.004) and internal medicine (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06–1.31, p = 0.004) were associated with low psychological empowerment. Holding a leadership position (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09–0.88, p = 0.029) and days of monthly night shifts (≤ 4) (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41–0.97, p = 0.036) were associated with high psychological empowerment. The category of psychological empowerment has a moderating effect on the relationship between decent work perception and work engagement (p < 0.05).ConclusionsIn summary, the levels of work engagement among rural nurses are moderate. Rural nurses’ psychological empowerment is heterogeneous, and attention should be paid to those in the low psychological empowerment group. This study demonstrated that nurses’ psychological empowerment partially moderates the relationship between perceptions of decent work and work engagement. Therefore, emphasizing psychological empowerment and fostering a decent work perception should be considered when exploring measures to promote high work engagement among rural nurses.Implications for Nursing ManagementBased on the study findings, nursing managers should adopt an evidence‐based approach to support psychological empowerment. Particular attention should be given to early identification of nurses at higher risk for low psychological empowerment, especially those in Level 1 hospitals and internal medicine departments. Targeted interventions should also be implemented, such as establishing peer mentoring programs facilitated by highly empowered nurses, creating regular feedback mechanisms, and involving nurses in clinical decision‐making processes. In addition, management should promote leadership opportunities and optimize scheduling to limit night shifts to not more than four per month. Notably, these factors have a significant association with enhanced psychological empowerment.

Work engagement is a work-related state of mind full of positivity and vigor. Understanding the current status and influencing factors of nurses' work engagement is essential for improving the quality of nursing services and stabilizing the nursing workforce building. This study aimed to explore the potential categories of nurses' work engagement and their influencing factors and provide a reference basis for developing targeted interventions to improve their work engagement. From March to April 2024, 1,919 nurses from 12 tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, were enrolled in the study using convenience sampling. A demographic profile questionnaire, work engagement scale, and professional mission scale were used to investigate them. Latent profile analysis was used to explore the categories of nurses' work engagement, and unordered multicategorical logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of each category. Nurses' work engagement could be categorized into three potential profiles: low work engagement group (n = 659, 34.3%), medium work engagement group (n = 763, 39.8%), and high work engagement group (n = 497, 25.9%). The unordered multi-categorical logistic regression results showed that marital status, reasons for choosing a nursing specialty, self-rated sleep quality, current work intensity, and sense of professional mission were influential factors affecting the potential profile of work engagement among nurses in tertiary care hospitals. Among them, unmarried nurses were more likely to belong to the low work engagement group; those who chose nursing specialties based on personal interest were more likely to belong to the medium work engagement group; those with medium work intensity were more likely to belong to the high work engagement group; and those with good self-assessed sleep quality and higher scores of sense of professional mission were more likely to belong to the medium and high work engagement groups. The potential profiles of nurses' work engagement in Chinese tertiary hospitals were dominated by the medium and low work engagement groups, with significant heterogeneity. Nursing managers should tailor interventions to enhance nurses' sense of professional mission according to the characteristics of each type of nurse work engagement, thereby improving work engagement and nursing service quality.

This study aims to explore the relationship and mechanism between the preschool inclusive education teachers’ organizational support, teacher self-efficacy, and work engagement. This study adopted the organizational support scale, inclusive education efficacy scale, and work engagement scale, measured for 600 preschool inclusive education teachers, eventually obtained 568 effective questionnaires, established research model, and analyzed the data using the structural equation model (SEM). There are significantly more men (65.1%) than women (34.9), and the majority (57.6%) were public kindergarten. Organizational support significantly positively affects teachers’ self-efficacy (β = 0.526, p < 0.001) and work engagement (β = 0.385, p < 0.001) in preschool inclusive education. Preschool teachers’ self-efficacy has a significant positive impact on work engagement (β = 0.222, p < 0.001). Preschool teachers’ self-efficacy plays a partial mediating role between organizational support and work engagement (β = 0.202, p < 0.001, CIs = [0.077, 0.305]). Organizational support not only directly affects teachers’ self-efficacy and work engagement in preschool inclusive education but also indirectly affects their work engagement through preschool teachers’ self-efficacy, which provides theoretical and practical guidance for the research of inclusive education.

Teachers’ professional characteristics significantly influence children’s emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development. Work engagement, as a core aspect of professional well-being, serves as a critical indicator of educational environmental quality, which in turn shapes developmental outcomes for children. Identifying predictors of work engagement is essential, with psychological well-being emerging as a potential key factor. Elements of the PERMA model of well-being were considered factors of preschool teachers’ work engagement. Additionally, cultural contexts may further modulate preschool teachers’ well-being. This study examines the psychological well-being profiles of preschool teachers in Serbia and Russia and explores how well-being characteristics relate to professional engagement. The total sample incorporates 654 preschool teachers aged from 18 to 70 years (M = 44.8, SD = 9.87), 98% female. The Russian sample comprises 388 individuals, the Serbian one – 266. Data collecting was performed using online survey method. Participants answered the PERMA-profiler questionnaire and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The findings emphasized cross-cultural differences in indicators of psychological well-being of teachers. Russian preschool teachers demonstrated a higher level of accomplishment and negative emotions, while their Serbian colleagues showed a higher level of positive emotions, meaning, health and work engagement. Predictors of work engagement varied culturally: for Russian preschool teachers, engagement was driven by positive emotions, meaning, and accomplishment; for Serbian teachers, it was linked to accomplishment, happiness, and low negative emotions. These findings underscore the interplay between cultural context and well-being in shaping preschool teachers’ professional engagement.

Career success is a key indicator of preschool teachers’ professional development. Research shows that psychological contracts, work engagement, and regulatory focus influence career success, yet their interactions remain unclear. This cross-sectional study (10 September–1 December 2024) involved 1,237 kindergarten teachers. The study measured Psychological Contract, Career Success, Work Engagement, and Regulatory Focus using validated scales. PROCESS 3.3 in SPSS analyzed mediation (work engagement) and moderation (regulatory focus). Work engagement mediated the link between psychological contract and career success. A promotion focus moderated the effects of psychological contracts and work engagement on career success, whereas a prevention focus showed no significant impact. Findings highlight psychological contracts’ influence on career success and underscore the roles of work engagement and regulatory focus. Causal inferences should be made cautiously given design limitations and potential self-report bias.

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, preschool teachers experienced a hard time in which they were required to implement relevant epidemic prevention policies to ensure the health of young children, increasing their work engagement, work stress, and turnover intention. This study examined the relationship between Chinese preschool teachers’ sense of teaching efficacy and turnover intention based on the JD-R model, with work engagement and work stress serving as the mediators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Altogether 388 Chinese preschool teachers were recruited and surveyed online. The results indicated that (1) preschool teachers’ teaching efficacy was not associated with turnover intention directly; (2) preschool teachers’ teaching efficacy was associated with turnover intention indirectly through work engagement and work stress. These findings implied that preschool principals should take measures to improve preschool teachers’ teaching efficacy and work engagement, provide support to help them better cope with work stress, leading to decreased turnover intention, and getting through difficult times.

This study provides new insights into the work-related well-being of teachers, defined here as engagement and burnout, by investigating their associations with the teachers’ sense of efficacy and interprofessional collaboration in school. Using a person-oriented approach and latent profile analysis, a sample of Finnish comprehensive school teachers (N = 355) were classified based on their work engagement and burnout. Three profiles were identified: engaged, engaged-exhausted, and burned-out. Teachers with distinct profiles differed from each other in terms of their sense of efficacy and experiences of interprofessional collaboration, suggesting that both might have an important role in enhancing work engagement and preventing burnout.

Preschool education constitutes the foundation of children’s academic and socio-emotional development, and preschool teachers play a critical role in shaping these early learning experiences. This study investigates the relationships between Job Satisfaction (JS), Work Engagement (WE), and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) among preschool teachers, with particular attention to underlying mediating mechanisms. A total of 408 preschool teachers participated in a questionnaire survey. The instrument demonstrated strong content validity and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.962). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the overall model fit and to estimate the direct and indirect effects among the constructs. In the proposed model, OCB is specified as the outcome variable, JS as the primary antecedent, and WE, Psychological Empowerment (PE), and Emotional Intelligence (EI) as key mediators. JS exerted substantial positive effects on WE (β = 0.621), PE (β = 0.538), and EI (β = 0.492). In turn, WE (β = 0.683), PE (β = 0.318), and EI (β = 0.294) significantly predicted OCB. Indirect effect estimates confirmed the mediating roles of WE, PE, and EI in the relationship between JS and OCB. The findings underscore the centrality of JS and the importance of enhancing WE, PE, and EI to foster positive discretionary behaviors among preschool teachers and to strengthen organizational functioning in early childhood education settings. Keywords: job satisfaction (JS); work engagement (WE); organizational citizenship behavior (OCB); preschool teachers (PSTs); psychological empowerment (PE); emotional intelligence (EI); mediating mechanisms; teacher motivation).