In Canada, the early childhood education field is growing rapidly. There are currently over 69,000 early childhood educators in the country, which is expected to increase significantly in the coming years (Travers & Cooper, 2018). The mental health of these educators is an important issue that must be addressed. If early childhood educators are not satisfied with their jobs, it can lead to serious problems for the individual and society.
In addition, an educated workforce is essential to the development of children (Wang et al., 2018). Educators must also be able to care for themselves to provide optimal care for their students. Many programs are being implemented across Canada to improve the mental health of early childhood educators and help them maintain good mental health. A substantial amount of research is available on job satisfaction and its relationship to employee mental health and well-being, but little is understood about how ECEs’ mental health is impacted by work satisfaction. This research paper examines the negative effects of job satisfaction in relation to mental health among early childhood educators in Canada.
Literature Review
Early childhood educators must have robust mental health in today’s world. It is because an educator’s job involves a lot of responsibility, especially regarding children’s safety and well-being. Teachers are tasked with creating an environment where kids can grow and learn in a safe and nurturing way (Wang et al., 2018). They are responsible for caring for and educating young children, which requires great emotional intelligence. Early childhood educators must maintain an appropriate balance between their personal needs and the needs of the children in their care (Boamah et al., 2018). They must also be able to cope with stressful situations and emotional challenges during their work day.
In the recent past, there has been a great deal of research on the connection between work happiness and mental health. In Canada, mental health has been on the rise in recent years. According to researchers, a positive work environment can directly impact an employee’s mental health (Wang et al., 2018). Travers & Cooper (2018) found that job satisfaction, or lack thereof, can significantly impact an early childhood educator’s mental health.
The study surveyed approximately 1,500 early childhood educators in Canada. It showed that those who were dissatisfied with their occupations were more likely than people who were content with their work to have higher levels of stress and anxiety (Travers & Cooper, 2018). Another study showed that employees dissatisfied with their jobs are more likely to take sick days or quit (Won & Chang, 2020). This finding is particularly relevant because it highlights how important it is for early childhood educators to feel like they are doing good work. If they believe they are not making a difference in the lives of children or families, they may get disheartened and unhappy, which may cause them to quit their jobs.
Theoretical Perspectives
The theoretical perspectives guiding this research are Maslach’s Burnout Model. It states that burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of personal accomplishment (Madigan & Kim, 2021). Emotional exhaustion is associated with feeling emotionally drained by work situations and events. Feelings of inefficacy or distance from others characterize depersonalization. Personal accomplishment stems from feeling like one has made significant contributions to their job or organization. The second perspective is Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation (Jeon et al., 2018).
It states that intrinsic factors such as recognition, achievement, personal growth, and responsibility lead to job satisfaction and extrinsic factors such as salary and fringe benefits lead to dissatisfaction (Jeon et al., 2018). The third perspective is Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, which states that an individual’s motivation is determined by the expected outcomes of their actions and behaviors (Fleury et al., 2018).
The fourth perspective is McClelland’s Need Hierarchy Theory which states that individuals are motivated when they have needs that are not satisfied in their current position or environment (Kurt & Demirbolat, 2019). The results from this study will be useful for both employers and employees because it will provide information about how job satisfaction affects early childhood educators’ mental health in Canada.
Statement of the Research Question
The research question for this paper is “How does job satisfaction affect Early Childhood Educators’ mental health in Canada?” This question is important because it can lead to a better understanding of what contributes to, or detracts from, the mental health of ECEs. This knowledge can help with developing strategies and interventions that can be used to improve the mental health of early childhood educators in Canada.
The Rationale of the Research
The study aims to determine how job satisfaction affects Early Childhood Educators’ mental health in Canada. The rationale for this research is that early childhood educators are frequent targets of violence and abuse in the workplace, which can impact their mental health. It is also important to understand how job satisfaction impacts mental health because it allows for more effective interventions to be developed for early educators, who are often isolated in their work environments and may not feel comfortable seeking out help. The results may provide insight into the relationships between job satisfaction, mental health, and well-being among early childhood educators in Canada.
Research Purpose
The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of job satisfaction on early childhood educators’ mental health in Canada. This research will be used to inform policy makers and other stakeholders about the correlation between job satisfaction and mental health among early childhood educators in Canada.
Research Design
This study will be conducted by surveying 100 Early Childhood Educators on their job satisfaction and mental health, as well as asking them about the things that make them feel satisfied with their jobs. The study will also involve a survey sent out to a focus group where participants can tell about their experiences (Kurt & Demirbolat, 2019). The research design for this project has been carefully crafted to ensure that it achieves its objectives. The first step is to create an online survey that will ask questions about job satisfaction and mental health, along with other relevant information such as age, gender, and ethnicity.
The second step is distributing this survey through social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. It will allow the researcher to reach many people without spending much money advertising our research project because people who use these platforms are already interested in what is happening around them. The third step is to set up a focus group where participants can tell about their experiences working with children or teaching preschoolers at home. This way, the study will get insight into how they feel about their jobs and whether or not they are satisfied with what they do daily.
Research Methodology
The study plans to use a survey method as the primary source of information because it is the most convenient and cost-effective (Kurt & Demirbolat, 2019). This method will allow the researcher to collect information easily from a large sample of respondents. The survey will be sent out online and open-ended so that participants can answer the questions in their own words, which should provide more accurate information than a multiple-choice format would allow. The study will have to make sure that the survey is accessible. It needs to be available in English and French so everyone who works as an early childhood educator can participate. Also, since many people are busy with work or other responsibilities, the study will try to keep the survey short by only asking about the most important factors affecting early childhood educators’ job satisfaction.
In addition to using a survey method, the study will employ qualitative methods such as interviews, observation, and document analysis (Won & Chang, 2020). These qualitative methods will help collect more detailed information about Early Childhood Educators’ experiences of stressors at work and their impact on their mental health. The biggest challenge for the study will likely be getting enough responses from participants to get an accurate picture of how job satisfaction affects mental health for early childhood educators in Canada.
If there are not enough responses, then it will not be possible for the study to draw any conclusions or make recommendations based on the results from the survey; thus, it will need some help from others. In order to avoid a low response rate, the study will use an online survey as opposed to an in-person survey. The use of an online survey will allow the researcher to reach a wider range of participants than an in-person survey would. In addition, the use of an online survey will help eliminate any potential bias or influence from other people in the room who may be answering questions that are not relevant to them.
Sampling Procedures, Data collection, and Data Analysis
The study has chosen a random sample technique because it will help obtain an unbiased representation of Early Childhood Educators in Canada (Won & Chang, 2020). The study will only reflect the opinions of those who volunteered to participate in the study (Katsantonis, 2019). A sample size of 100 early childhood educators will be selected randomly from across Canada. The data will be collected using a questionnaire that contains questions related to job satisfaction and mental health issues. The responses to these questions are then compiled and analyzed using statistical software. The field data collection method will be through interviews and observations (Kurt & Demirbolat, 2019). Qualitative data obtained from observations will be analyzed using a qualitative content analysis method which involves coding the content into categories based on similar meanings within each category.
Anticipated Outcomes
Early Childhood Educators are employed in various settings, including daycares, preschools, family daycares, and private homes. They work with children from birth to school age. They assist with dressing, feeding, bathing, and entertaining the children. They also guide play activities, social skills, communication skills, and cognitive development (Jeon et al., 2018). The anticipated outcomes of this study are that it will show that job satisfaction is significantly correlated with an increase in mental health and there are big differences between people who are happy with their jobs on a scale from 0 to 100 (Jeon et al., 2018).
This research also has implications for social work practice as it could be used to determine whether or not the early childhood education system should be updated based on the study’s results. The significance of this study lies in its potential to improve the lives of Canada’s early childhood educators, who are often underpaid and overworked. If these educators are happier with their jobs, they may have better mental health overall (Katsantonis, 2019). It will make them more effective at teaching young children who will become adults with good mental health.
Potential Ethical Issues
The ethical issues that may arise from this research include privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity. The need for confidentiality and anonymity lies within the fact that there are many sensitive issues involved with these types of researchers. For example, if an individual does not have good self-esteem or confidence, they may be reluctant to answer questions about their mental health (Fleury et al., 2018).
Confidentiality is also important when conducting any research because it ensures that no one knows who participated or what they answered (Fleury et al., 2018). Privacy is another important factor because it helps protect individuals from being judged by others if they choose not to participate in the study (Jeon et al., 2018). The study will engage in self-reflection and self-awareness during all stages of my research. It will also be actively seeking feedback from more knowledgeable people concerning this topic.
Conclusion
The research question examines and fields this topic from different perspectives, including psychosocial, microsystemic, organizational, macrosystemic, and societal. The mental health issues faced by ECEs will affect the children in their care. These factors that contribute to the mental health problems of ECEs can be managed to improve their quality of life through personal actions, social support, and community support.
Additionally, ECEs have a high influence on child development; hence, they strongly link with early childhood success. Achieving job satisfaction is not easy, and our education system needs to look into the matter to create a conducive teacher environment. It will help build a healthy foundation for early childhood development. That is why it is beneficial for governments to set up preschools according to the national curriculum guide and international standards. With ample opportunities for ECEs to work on implementing curriculum, it creates an ideal environment for children to bloom in. Moreover, to achieve the best results, teachers must go through various experiences that will cover educational philosophies, theories, and fun equipment, which will lead them to the right road to becoming successful educators.
References
Boamah, S. A., Laschinger, H. K. S., Wong, C., & Clarke, S. (2018). Effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and patient safety outcomes. Nursing Outlook, 66(2), 180-189. Web.
Fleury, M. J., Grenier, G., Bamvita, J. M., & Farand, L. (2018). Variables associated with job satisfaction among mental health professionals. PloS one, 13(10), e0205963.
Jeon, L., Buettner, C. K., & Grant, A. A. (2018). Early childhood teachers’ psychological well-being: Exploring potential predictors of depression, stress, and emotional exhaustion. Early education and development, 29(1), 53-69. Web.
Katsantonis, I. G. (2019). Investigation of the impact of school climate and teachers’ self-efficacy on job satisfaction: a cross-cultural approach. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology, and Education, 10(1), 119-133.
Kurt, N., & Demirbolat, A. O. (2019). Investigation of the Relationship between Psychological Capital Perception, Psychological Well-Being and Job Satisfaction of Teachers. Journal of Education and Learning, 8(1), 87-99. Web.
Madigan, D. J., & Kim, L. E. (2021). Towards an understanding of teacher attrition: A meta-analysis of burnout, job satisfaction, and teachers’ intentions to quit. Teaching and teacher education, 105, 103425.
Travers, C. J., & Cooper, C. L. (2018). Mental health, job satisfaction and occupational stress among UK teachers. In Managerial, Occupational and Organizational Stress Research (pp. 291-307). Routledge.
Wang, F., Pollock, K. E., & Hauseman, C. (2018). School principals’ job satisfaction: The effects of work intensification. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 185, 73. Web.
Won, S. D., & Chang, E. J. (2020). The relationship between school violence-related stress and quality of life in school teachers through coping self-efficacy and job satisfaction. School Mental Health, 12(1), 136-144. Web.
Appendices
Interview Questions
- Please describe your current job situation.
- What is your greatest challenge at work?
- How do you feel about it?
- What do you like most about your current position?
- What are the factors that make you happy at work?
- What are the factors that make you unhappy at work?
- How can early childhood educators experience job satisfaction to improve their mental health?
- How do you feel about your career decision to become an early childhood educator?
- How do you feel your job satisfaction affects your mental health?
- Have you ever felt stressed out at work? Why do you think that happened?
- Are there any ways to avoid feeling stressed out at work?
- Do you feel there are enough professional growth opportunities in your current position? If not, what is missing? What would make it better?
- Do you feel there are enough opportunities for personal growth in your current position? If not, what is missing? What would make it better?
- What has changed how you recently approached your work and home life?