Abstract
Background: Most of the existing literature analyzes preschool teachers’ perceptions of information seeking and measures their satisfaction with online support for mental health issues. Seldom has this literature considered the influence of enthusiasm for or preference towards online engagement and social media in the development of preschool teachers’ mental health literacy. Methods: This study focused on preschool teachers’ attitudes towards the impact of an online learning community on mental health literacy and explored the moderation of enthusiasm for engagement on this relationship. A survey was conducted in Taiwan, and the researchers employed partial least squares to test the moderating effect. Results: The results indicate that enthusiasm for engagement has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between an online learning community and mental health literacy for preschool teachers. Conclusions: The moderating effect of enthusiasm for engagement in this relationship reminds us to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the employment of online learning communities for the improvement of mental health literacy and well-being. This study recommends cautiously integrating online learning communities and real-world communication into an appropriate and user-friendly interactive model to help preschool teachers promote their mental health literacy and well-being.
Highlights
The mental health conditions of preschool teachers play a critical role in their educare practices and professional development in early childhood education
The results show that preschool teachers had positive perceptions of employing online learning communities to access mental health information, and their enthusiasm for social media supported the online behaviors and communications that helped them deal with their mental health conditions
We explored preschool teachers’ attitudes towards the relationships of online learning communities, mental health literacy, and enthusiasm for engagement
Summary
The mental health conditions of preschool teachers play a critical role in their educare practices and professional development in early childhood education. With the development of social media, online learning communities provide preschool teachers with more opportunities to recognize mental health disorders and interact with community members in order to articulate empathic support and develop strategies for promoting well-being [2]. They can employ online learning communities to access mental health information and develop positive attitudes towards dealing with and discussing their mental health issues. In Taiwan, the majority of preschool teachers are female and are educated to the level of a college degree They have often been regarded as caregivers or babysitters, and so, less attention has been paid to their professional status as workers in early childhood education. Seldom has this literature considered the influence of enthusiasm for or preference towards online engagement and social media in the development of preschool teachers’ mental health literacy
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