Cent Eur J Public Health 2012, 20(3):191-198 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3700

Determinants of Day Care Teachers' Job Satisfaction

Bianca Kusma1,2, David A. Groneberg1, Albert Nienhaus3, Stefanie Mache1,4
1 Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
2 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
3 Institution for Statutory Accident Insurance in the Health and Welfare Services, Hamburg, Germany
4 Department of Medicine/Psychosomatics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Free University and Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany

Background: Although job satisfaction is among the most widely researched topics, relatively little research has been done on this issue as it relates to early childhood educators. This study was designed to contribute significantly to the deficient body of knowledge about working conditions and job satisfaction of day care teachers, in particular with regard to differences in job satisfaction depending on day care centres' ownership.

Methods: Analyses were based on cross-sectional comparison of 469 questionnaires (42.55% response rate) from day care teachers working at public day care centres with those working at day care centres run by churches or parents' initiatives.

Results: A significant difference in job satisfaction was found between these three types. The important interaction between socio-demographic characteristics, psychosocial working conditions, and job satisfaction could be demonstrated.

Conclusion: The present study is one of the few that examines the impacts of day care centres ownership on pedagogical staffs' job satisfaction and indicates that the type of the centre is a potential factor explaining variations. Results provide a valuable basis for the development of solution-focused approaches to improve pedagogical staff working conditions.

Keywords: day care teacher, job satisfaction, job demands-resources model, ownership

Received: June 22, 2011; Revised: June 14, 2012; Accepted: June 14, 2012; Published: September 1, 2012  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Kusma B, Groneberg DA, Nienhaus A, Mache S. Determinants of Day Care Teachers' Job Satisfaction. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2012;20(3):191-198. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a3700. PubMed PMID: 23285519.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Jorde-Bloom P. Teacher job satisfaction: a framework for analysis. Early Child Res Q. 1986;1(2):167-83. Go to original source...
    2. Mein G, Martikainen P, Stansfeld SA, Brunner EJ, Fuhrer R, Marmot MG. Predictors of early retirement in British civil servants. Age Ageing. 2000 Nov;29(6):529-36. Go to original source...
    3. van den Berg TI, Elders LA, Burdorf A. Influence of health and work on early retirement. J Occup Environ Med. 2010 Jun;52(6):576-83. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. Whitebook M, Bellm D. Taking on turnover: an action guide for child care center teachers and directors. Washington, DC: Center for the Child Care Workforce; 1999.
    5. Sumsion J. Sustaining the employment of early childhood teachers in long day care: a case for robust hope, critical imagination and critical action. Asia Pac J Teach. 2007;35(3):311-27. Go to original source...
    6. Howes C, Hamilton C. The changing experience of child care: changes in teachers and in teacher-child relationships and children's social competence with peers. Early Child Res Q. 1993;8(1):15-32. Go to original source...
    7. Howes C, Phillips DA, Whitebook M. Thresholds of quality: implications for the social development of children in center-based child care. Child Dev. 1992;63(2):449-60. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Phillips D, Mekos D, Scarr S, McCartney K,Abbott-Shin M. Within and beyond the classroom door: assessing quality in child care centers. Early Child Res Q. 2000;15(4):475-96. Go to original source...
    9. Kusma B, NienhausA, Spallek M, Quarcoo D, Groneberg DA, Mache S. Bidirectional Assessment of Stress, job satisfaction and work ability of Educators in day care centres: a real-time observation study - the study protocol (BASE). J Occup Med Toxicol. 2010 Jun 29;5(1):16. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    10. Demerouti E, BakkerAB, Nachreiner F, Schaufeli WB. The job demandsresources model of burnout. J Appl Psychol. 2001 Jun;86(3):499-512. Go to original source...
    11. Bos JT, Donders NC, Bouwman-Brouwer KM, Van der Gulden JW. Work characteristics and determinants of job satisfaction in four age groups: university employees' point of view. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2009 Nov;82(10):1249-59. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    12. Mache S, Vitzthum K, Nienhaus A, Klapp BF, Groneberg DA. Physicians' working conditions and job satisfaction: does hospital ownership in Germany make a difference? BMC Health Serv Res. 2009Aug 13;9:148. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    13. Van Ruysseveldt J. Mental exhaustion and job satisfaction in Flemish workers. Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken. 2006;22(4):328-43. (In Dutch.) Go to original source...
    14. Llorens S, BakkerA, Schaufeli W, Salanova M. Testing the robustness of the job demands-resources model. Int J Stress Manag. 2006;13(3):378-91. Go to original source...
    15. Xanthopoulou D, Bakker AB, Demerouti E, Schaufeli WB. The Role of personal resources in the job demands-resources model. Int J Stress Manag. 2007;14(2):121-41. Go to original source...
    16. Bakker AB, Hakanen JJ, Demerouti E, Xanthopoulou D. Job resources boost work engagement, particularly when job demands are high. J Educ Psychol. 2007;99(2):274-84. Go to original source...
    17. Meijman TF, Mulder G. Psychological aspects of workload. In: Drenth PJD, Thierry H, editors. Handbook of work and organizational psychology: personnel psychology. Hove, UK: Psychology Press; 1998. p. 5-33.
    18. Rudow B. Working conditions for day care teachers. High psychological stress. Bildung und Wissenschaft. 2004(6):6-13. (In German.)
    19. Dippelhofer-Stiem B, Kahle I. Empirical analysis of educational work in kindergartens. Zeitschrift für Frauenforschung. 1994;12:111-22. (In German.)
    20. Rudow B. Day care teachers' strain, health and safety at work. Mannheim & Mühlhausen / Thür.: Institut für Gesundheit und Organisation (IGO); 2004. (In German.)
    21. Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft. How is the job? Frankfurt am Main: Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft - Hauptvorstand; 2007. (In German.)
    22. Fuchs T, Trischler F. Quality of work from the perspective of day care teachers. Results from the survey DGB-Index good work. Stadtbergen: Internationales Institut für Empirische Sozialforschung; 2008. (In German.)
    23. Schad M. Education is not childs' play: hazards and stress of pedagogical staff in day care. Frankfurt am Main: Unfallkasse Hessen; 2002. (In German.)
    24. Bakker AB, Demerouti E. The Job demands-resources model: state of the art. J Manage Psychol. 2007;22(3):309-28. Go to original source...
    25. Simbula S. Daily fluctuations in teachers' well-being: a diary study using the job demands-resources model. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2010 Oct;23(5):563-84. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Rice RW, Gentile DA, McFarlin DB. Facet importance and job satisfaction. J Appl Psychol. 1991;76(1):31-9. Go to original source...
    27. Horton S. High aspirations: differences in employee satisfaction between university faculty and staff. Appl Res Qual Life. 2006;1(3-4):315-22. Go to original source...
    28. Oshagbemi T. Personal correlates of job satisfaction: empirical evidence from UK universities. Int J Soc Econ. 2003;30(12):1210-32. Go to original source...
    29. Lu H, WhileAE, Barriball KL. Job satisfaction among nurses: a literature review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2005 Feb;42(2):211-27. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    30. Wong YHP. Kindergarten teachers' perceived school culture and wellbeing: a comparison of non-profit-making and profit-making kindergartens. Early Child Dev Care. 2010;180(3):271-8. Go to original source...
    31. MullisAK, Cornille TA, Mullis RL, Taliano K. Childcare center directors' perceptions of their work environments: a comparison of for-profit and non-profit programs. Early Child Dev Care. 2003;173(5):545-56. Go to original source...
    32. De LangeAH, Taris TW, Kompier MAJ, Houtman ILD, Bongers PM. The relationships between work characteristics and mental health: examining normal, reversed and reciprocal relationships in a 4-wave study. Work Stress. 2004;18(2):149-66. Go to original source...
    33. Wong CS, Hui C, Law KS.Alongitudinal study of the job perception-job satisfaction relationship: a test of the three alternative specifications. J Occup Organ Psychol. 1998;71(2):127-46. Go to original source...
    34. Hobfoll SE, Johnson RJ, Ennis N, Jackson AP. Resource loss, resource gain, and emotional outcomes among inner city women. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003 Mar;84(3):632-43. Go to original source...
    35. ChangYH, Li HH, Wu CM, Wang PC. The influence of personality traits on nurses' job satisfaction in Taiwan. Int Nurs Rev. 2010 Dec;57(4):47884. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    36. Youssef CM, Luthans F. Positive organizational behavior in the workplace: the impact of hope, optimism, and resilience. J Manage. 2007;33(5):774-800. Go to original source...
    37. Nübling M, Stößel U, Hasselhorn HM, Michaelis M, Hofmann F. Measuring psychological stress and strain at work - Evaluation of the COPSOQ Questionnaire in Germany. Psychosoc Med. 2006 Oct 18;3:Doc05.
    38. Kristensen TS, Hannerz H, Høgh A, Borg V. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire - a tool for the assessment and improvement of the psychosocial work environment. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2005 Dec;31(6):438-49. Go to original source...
    39. Wagnild GM, Young HM. Development and psychometric evaluation of the Resilience Scale. J Nurs Meas. 1993 Winter;1(2):165-78. Go to PubMed...
    40. SinclairVG,Wallston KA.The development and psychometric evaluation of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale.Assessment. 2004 Mar;11(1):94-101. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    41. Scholler G, Fliege H, Klapp BF. Questionnaire of self-efficacy, optimism and pessimism: reconstruction, selection of items and validation of an instrument by means of examinations of clinical samples. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 1999 Aug;49(8):275-83. (In German.) Go to PubMed...
    42. Jerusalem M, Schwarzer R. Self-efficacy. In: Schwarzer R, editor. Scales for mental state and personality. Freie Universität Berlin: Institut für Psychologie; 1986. p. 15-28. (In German.)
    43. Scheier MF, Carver CS. Optimism, coping, and health: assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies. Health Psychol. 1985;4(3):219-47. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    44. Coomber B, Barriball KL. Impact of job satisfaction components on intent to leave and turnover for hospital-based nurses: a review of the research literature. Int J Nurs Stud. 2007 Feb;44(2):297-314. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    45. Larrabee JH, Janney MA, Ostrow CL, Withrow ML, Hobbs GR Jr, Burant C, et al. Predicting registered nurse job satisfaction and intent to leave. J Nurs Adm. 2003 May;33(5):271-83. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    46. Dreeben R. The school as a workplace. In: Travers RM, editor. Second handbook on research on teaching. Chicago: Rand McNally; 1973. p. 450-73.
    47. Kontos S, Stremmel AJ. Caregivers' perceptions of working conditions in a child care environment. Early Child Res Q. 1988;3(1):77-90. Go to original source...
    48. Papanastasiou EC, Zembylas M. Job satisfaction variance among public and private kindergarten school teachers in Cyprus. Int J Educ Res. 2005;43(3):147-67. Go to original source...
    49. Luszczynska A, Cieslak R. Protective, promotive, and buffering effects of perceived social support in managerial stress: the moderating role of personality. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2005;18(3):227-44. Go to original source...
    50. Miskel C, Fevurly R, Steward J. Organizational structures and processes, perceived school effectiveness, loyalty, and job satisfaction. Educ Adm Q. 1979;15(3):97-118. Go to original source...
    51. Luthans F, Avolio BJ, Avey JB, Norman SM. Positive psychological capital: measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Pers Psychol. 2007;60(3):541-72. Go to original source...
    52. Seligman MEP. Learned optimism. New York: A. A. Knopf; 1991.
    53. Nübling M, Stößel U, Hasselhorn HM, Michaelis M, Hofmann F. Methods for the assessment of mental work load - testing of a measuring procedure (COPSOQ). Bremerhaven: Wirtschaftsverlag NW; 2005. (In German.)
    54. Pugliesi K. The consequences of emotional labor: effects on work stress, job satisfaction, and well-being. Motiv Emot. 1999;23(2):125-54. Go to original source...
    55. Bulan HF, Erickson RJ, Wharton AS. Doing for others on the job: the affective requirements of service work, gender, and emotional well-being. Soc Probl. 1997;44(2):235-56. Go to original source...
    56. Robinson BE.Atwo-year followup study of male and female caregivers. Child Care Q. 1979;8(4):279-94. Go to original source...
    57. Fleischer B. Identification of strategies to reduce turnover among child care workers. Child Care Q. 1985;14(2):130-9. Go to original source...
    58. Jorde-Bloom P. Factors influencing overall job satisfaction and organizational commitment in early childhood work environments. J Res Child Educ Education. 1988;3(2):107-22. Go to original source...
    59. Ross AL. A study of child care staff turnover. Child Care Q. 1984;13(3):209-24. Go to original source...

    Return to the content