Job stress and teacher burnout in preschools – Preliminary assessment of the buffer effect of job resources in the stressor-strain model in a lower-middle-income country

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines how asymmetric job conditions deplete the psychological resources of the ECE workforce in a lower-middle-income country (LMIC). Specifically, this preliminary study, using data from preschool teaching staff, examined the influence of (a) job demands (emotional demand, workload, role conflict and work-family conflict) on psychological burnout (emotional exhaustion), and (b) the offsetting effect of occupational resources (social support and job autonomy) in the job demands – emotional exhaustion relations. SEM analyses revealed that high stressors (i.e. job demands) were related with high levels of emotional exhaustion, while social support and job autonomy served as significant buffers in the stressors – emotional exhaustion positive link. These outcomes serve as preliminary evidence for ECE job re-design and burnout management programs by strategically allocating school-level resources in LMICs.