Psychological empowerment and professional well-being of Chinese kindergarten teachers: The mediating effect of professional pressure

Abstract

We examined the relationship between teachers’ psychological empowerment and professional well-being, and the mediating effect of professional pressure thereon. The participants were female Chinese kindergarten teachers (n = 225; mean age = 26.79 years; SD = 5.78 years). The minority (19.6%) worked in formal settings. The teachers completed self-report measures of psychological empowerment, professional well-being, and professional pressure. The path analysis results indicated that psychological empowerment predicted greater professional well-being. Teachers’ sense of professional pressure mediated the relationship between psychological empowerment and professional well-being. Kindergarten teachers with a higher level of psychological empowerment had lower professional pressure, and a higher sense of professional well-being experiences. These findings suggest a need to reduce professional pressure on kindergarten teachers for their professional empowerment and work well-being.