Effects of caring climate on career commitment for preschool teachers: the mediating roles of interpersonal trust and cooperative learning

Abstract

ABSTRACT Preschool teachers in Taiwan face pedagogical and emotionalchallenges that shape their job satisfaction, commitment, and socialidentity. Understanding their views on professional developmentand organizational commitment in early childhood education is critical. This study aims to examine the relationship between caring climate and career commitment and test the multiple mediating effects of interpersonal trust and cooperative learning in this relationship. A survey was conducted in Taiwan to test preschool teachers’ attitudes toward career commitment and other related factors. The questionnaire consisted of four latent factors: caring climate, career commitment, interpersonal trust and cooperative learning. We used partial least squares to analyze the sample data and examine the reliability and validity in the multiple mediation model. The results of the multiple mediating analysis indicated that interpersonal trust and cooperative learning fully positively mediated the association between caring climate and career commitment. Preschool teachers’ career commitment is influenced by their perceptions of caring climate in workplaces. Their positive attitudes toward kind interactions and teamwork with colleagues in preschools actively support sustainable development of their career paths.