Early childhood teachers' emotional labour: The role of job and personal resources in protecting well-being

Abstract

Emotional labour, the regulation and management of emotions, is a significant element of the teaching role yet it may damage teacher well-being. In this cross-sectional study (N = 320 New Zealand early childhood teachers), we examine whether job and personal resources may modify this relationship. Resources of perceived organisational support, hope, and optimism positively predicted well-being. Surface acting, a component of emotional labour requiring inauthentic display of emotions, was negatively associated with well-being and partially mitigated by optimism. We consider the extent to which emotional labour may contribute to teachers' personal growth and achievement versus constraining their work accomplishments.