Awareness of Preschool Teachers on the Concept of Well-Being

Year 2023, Volume: 11 Issue: 1st International Positive Schools & Well-Being Congress Special Issue, 18 - 37, 27.09.2023

Şeyma Türen , Nalan Kuru

https://doi.org/10.47215/aji.1308170

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the awareness of preschool teachers about the concept of well-being. The research was carried out using the phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research designs. Seven preschool teachers, each of whom works in schools in different regions of Turkey, were included in the study group, which was determined by the purposeful sampling method, and they did not participate in the training on the subjects that would enable them to know about the concept of well-being. The research data were collected through semi-structured interview form in line with the expert opinions of five faculty members working in preschool education and psychology departments. The descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the collected data. As a result of the findings analyzed by dividing the data into three main sections, which are the definition of well-being, teacher well-being, and child well-being, it was seen that preschool teachers had various knowledge and could comments on the concept of well-being. Also, it was determined that they were unaware of the concept's dimensions and could not handle it with a holistic approach. These findings obtained from the research were discussed, and various suggestions were presented to increase awareness about well-being.

Keywords

Dimensions of well-being, preschool children, preschool teachers, well-being

References

• Alfaro, J., Carrillo, G., Aspillaga, C., Villarroel, A., & Varela, J. (2023). Well-being, school and age, from the understandings of Chilean children. Children and Youth Services Review, 144, 1-11.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106739
• Altıparmak, D., & Ekşi, H. (2021). Investigating of mediating effect of self-compassıon in relationship of life purpose, life meanıng and well-being of teachers. İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 20(40), 610-631. https://doi.org/10.46928/iticusbe.884857
• Amerijckx, G., & Humblet, P. C. (2014). Child well‐being: What does it mean?. Children & Society, 28(5), 404-415. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12003
• Aydoğan, İ. (2019). School climate perceptions of teachers as predictors of psychological well-being levels (Unpublished master thesis). İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim University Institute of Social Sciences, İstanbul.
• Başkale, H. (2016). Determination of validity, reliability and sample size in qualitative studies. E-Journal of Dokuz Eylul University Nursing Faculty, 9(1), 23-28.
• Ben-Arieh, A., Casas, F., Frønes, I., & Korbin, J. E. (2014). Multifaceted concept of child well-being. In A. BenArieh, F. Casas, I. Frønes, & J. Korbin (Eds.), Handbook of child well-being (pp. 1-27). The Netherlands: Springer.
• Ben-Arieh, A., & Frønes, I. (2011). Taxonomy for child well-being indicators: A framework for the analysis of the well-being of children. Childhood, 18(4), 460-476. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568211398159
• Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2018). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri [Scientific research methods] (24th Ed.). Ankara: Pegem Akdemi.
• Chan, S. W., Pöysä, S., Lerkkanen, M. K., & Pakarinen, E. (2023). Teachers’ occupational well-being in relation to teacher–student interactions at the lower secondary school level. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, Early Online, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2023.2204114
• Crisp, R (2021). Well-being. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.) The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Winter 2021 Ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/ well-being/ adresinden erişildi.
• Cumming, T. (2017). Early childhood educators’ well-being: An updated review of the literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45, 583-593.
• Çetin, A. (2019). An analysis of the relationship between teachers’ subjective wellbeing and their occupational resilience. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 9(3), 506-521. https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.533847
• Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8, 1-44. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v8n1.2000
• Day, C., & Qing, G. (2009). Teacher emotions: Well being and effectiveness. Advances in teacher emotion research: The impact on teachers’ lives, 15-31.
• Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. (2004). Beyond money: Toward an economy of well-being. Psychological science in the public interest, 5(1), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.09637214.2004.00501001.x
• Falecki, D., & Mann, E. (2021). Practical applications for building teacher wellbeing in education. In C. F. Mansfield (Ed.), Cultivating Teacher Resilience (pp.175-191). Singapore: Springer.
• Farhah, I., Saleh, A. Y., & Safitri, S. (2021). The role of student-teacher relationship to teacher subjective well-being as moderated by teaching experience. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 15(2), 267-274. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v15i2.18330
• Fathi, J., Derakhshan, A., & Saharkhiz Arabani, A. (2020). Investigating a structural model of self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and psychological well-being among Iranian EFL teachers. Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies, 12(1), 123-150. https://doi.org/10.22111/IJALS.2020.5725
• Fattore, T., Mason, J., & Watson, E. (2016). Children’s understandings of well being: Towards a child standpoint. Dordrecht: Springer.
• Gough, I., & McGregor, J. A. (2007). Wellbeing in developing countries: From theory to research. Cambridge University Press.
• Göçen, A. (2019). Teachers’ life meaning, psychological capital and gender’s effect on their psychological well-being. Cumhuriyet International Journal of Education, 8(1), 135-153. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.457977
• Gray, C., Wilcox, G., & Nordstokke, D. (2017). Teacher mental health, school climate, inclusive education and student learning: A review. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 58(3), 203–210. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000117
• Hall-Kenyon, K. M., Bullough, R. V., MacKay, K. L., & Marshall, E. E. (2014). Preschool teacher well-being: A review of the literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(3), 153-162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0595-4
• Haq, R., & Zia, U. (2013). Multidimensional wellbeing: An index of quality of life in a developing economy. Social indicators research, 114, 997-1012. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0186-6
• Harding, S., Morris, R., Gunnella, D., Ford, T., Hollingworth, W., Tilling, K., Evans, R., Bell, S., Grey, J., Brockman, R., Campbell, R., Araya, R., Murphy, S., & Kidger, J. (2019). Is teachers’ mental health and wellbeing associated with students’ mental health and wellbeing? Journal of Affective Disorders, 242, 180–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.080
• Hascher, T., Beltman, S., & Mansfield, C. (2021). Teacher wellbeing and resilience: Towards an integrative model. Educational research, 63(4), 416-439. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2021.1980416
• Hascher, T., & Waber, J. (2021). Teacher well-being: A systematic review of the research literature from the year 2000–2019. Educational Research Review, 34, 100-411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100411
• Hone, L., Jarden, A., & Schofield, G. (2014). Psychometric properties of the Flourishing Scale in a New Zealand sample. Social Indicators Research, 119(2), 1031-1045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100411
• 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. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2017.1341806.
• Kwon, K. A., Ford, T. G., Jeon, L., Malek-Lasater, A., Ellis, N., Randall, K., Kile, M., & Salvatore, A. L. (2021). Testing a holistic conceptual framework for early childhood teacher well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 86, 178-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2021.03.006
• Lee Duckworth, A., Steen, T. A., & Seligman, M. E. (2005). Positive psychology in clinical practice. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1(1), 629-651. http://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.144154
• Lincoln, S. Y., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
• Malhotra, N. K. (2006). Consumer well-being and quality of life: An assessment and directions for future research. Journal of Macromarketing, 26(1), 77-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146705285970
• McCallum, F., & Price, D. (2010), Well teachers, well students. The Journal of Student Wellbeing, 4(1), 19-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.21913/jsw.v4i1.599
• Michaelson, J., Mahony, S., & Schifferes, J. (2012). Measuring wellbeing: A guide for practitioners. London: New Economics Foundation.
• Minkkinen, J. (2013). The structural model of child well-being. Child Indicators Research, 6, 547-558. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12187-013-9178-6
• Myers, J. E., Sweeney, T. J., & Witmer, J. M. (2000). The wheel of wellness counseling for wellness: A holistic model for treatment planning. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78(3), 251–266. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2000.tb01906.x
• Narea, M., Treviño, E., Caqueo-Urízar, A., Miranda C., & Gutiérrez-Rioseco, J. (2021) Understanding the relationship between preschool teachers' well-being, interaction quality and students' well-being. Child Indicators Research, 15(2), 533-551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-021-09876-3
• Nong, L., Wu, Y. F., Ye, J. H., Liao, C., & Wei, C. (2022). The effect of leisure engagement on preschool teachers’ job stress and sustainable well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.912275
• OECD (2009). Comparative child well-being across the OECD. In Doing better for children (pp. 21-63). Paris: OECD.
• OECD (2011). How's life?: Measuring well-being. Paris: OECD.
• Patton, M. Q. (2018). Nitel araştırma ve değerlendirme yöntemleri [Qualitative research & Evaluation methods] (2nd Ed.). (Çev. Ö. Bütün & S. B. Demir). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
• Penttinen, V., Pakarinen, E., Von Suchodoletz, A., & Lerkkanen, M. K. (2020). Relations between kindergarten teachers’ occupational well-being and the quality of teacher-child interactions. Early Education and Development, 31(7), 994-1010. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1785265
• Pollard, E. L., & Lee, P. D. (2003). Child well-being: A systematic review of the literature. Social Indicators Research, 61(1), 59–78. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021284215801
• Roffey, S. (2012). Pupil wellbeing—Teacher wellbeing: Two sides of the same coin? Educational and Child Psychology, 29(4), 8–17.
• Rose, J., Gilbert, L., & Richards, V. (2021). Erken çocuklukta sağlık ve iyi oluş [Health and wellbeing in early childhood]. (Çev. N. Kuru, S. Erdoğan & B. Madi). İstanbul: Sola Unitas.
• Spilt, J. L., Koomen, H. M., & Thijs, J. T. (2011). Teacher wellbeing: The importance of teacher–student relationships. Educational Psychology Review, 23, 457-477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9170-y
• Türnüklü, A. (2000). Eğitimbilim araştırmalarında etkin olarak kullanılabilecek nitel bir araştırma tekniği: Görüşme [A qualitative research method that can be used effectively in pedagogy research: Interview]. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Yönetimi Dergisi, 24 (24), 543-599.
• Underdown, A. (2006). Young children's health and well-being. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.
• UNICEF (2007). Child poverty in perspective: an overview of child well-being in rich countries. Florence: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre.
• Van Horn, J. E., Taris, T. W., Schaufeli, W. B., & Schreurs, P. J. (2004). The structure of occupational well‐being: A study among Dutch teachers. Journal of occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(3), 365-375. https://doi.org/10.1348/0963179041752718
• Van Petegem, K., Creemers, B. P., Rossel, Y., & Aelterman, A. (2005). Relationships between teacher characteristics, interpersonal teacher behaviour and teacher wellbeing. The Journal of Classroom Interaction, 40(2), 34-43.
• Viac, C., & Fraser, P. (2020). Teachers’ well-being: A framework for data collection and analysis. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/c36fc9d3-en
• Westerhof, G. J., & Keyes, C. L. (2010). Mental illness and mental health: The two continua model across the lifespan. Journal of Adult Development, 17, 110-119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-009-9082-y
• Windlinger, R. (2021). Leadership in schools and teacher well-being: an investigation of influence processes (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Philosophischen Fakultät der Universität Freiburg, Schweiz.
• WHO (1946). Official Records of the World Health Organization. New York: United Nations World Health Organization.
• Wong, S., Cumming, T., MacQuarrie, A., Bull, R., Robertson, C., Saha, M., McFarland, L., & Logan, H. (2022). Holistic measurement of early childhood educators’ well-being: A protocol. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2022.2128746
• Xia, J. W., & Shun, H. T. (2021). Exploring the mechanisms influencing the occupational well-being of early childhood teachers-A qualitative study based on the JD-R model. Natural Volatiles & Essentıal Oils Journal, 8(5), 11158-11181.
• Yarcheski, A., Scoloveno M. A., & Mahon N. E (1994). Social support and well-being in adolescents: the mediating role of hopefulness. Nursing Research, 43(5), 288–292. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-199409000-00006
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2021). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri [Research methods in social sciences] (12th Ed.). Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Zee, M., & Koomen, H. M. (2016). Teacher self-efficacy and its effects on classroom processes, student academic adjustment, and teacher well-being: A synthesis of 40 years of research. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 981-1015. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315626801