A Study on the Differences and Relationships in Happiness, Job Stress, and Play Support Competence of Early Childhood Teachers According to Institution Type

This study aims to examine the differences and relationships in happiness, job stress, and play support competency among early childhood teachers based on the type of institution they work in (kindergarten or daycare center) and to provide direction for teacher education. A survey was conducted on 225 early childhood teachers employed in kindergartens and daycare centers in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon regions. The collected data were analyzed using independent t-tests and correlation analysis. The study findings are as follows: Firstly, there was no disparity in teacher happiness based on the type of institution (kindergarten or daycare center). However, regarding job stress, daycare center teachers reported experiencing higher stress from principals and colleagues compared to kindergarten teachers. Moreover, kindergarten teachers demonstrated greater play support competency than daycare center teachers. Secondly, concerning the relationship between teacher happiness and play support competency based on the type of institution, both kindergarten and daycare center teachers indicated that higher happiness levels were linked to better play support competency. Furthermore, no correlation was found between teachers' job stress and play support competency based on the type of institution. Nonetheless, significant differences were observed in sub-factors related to job stress and play support competence in both types of institutions. This study highlights that happiness, job stress, and play competency vary between kindergarten and daycare center teachers, and presents the direction of teacher education according to the type of institution.