Are early child teachers' coping flexibility and narcissism associated with the teacher-child relationship?: The mediation of teacher efficacy

This study was conducted to determine whether the coping flexibility and narcissism of child teachers are related to the teacher-child relationship through teacher efficacy, focusing on the importance of coping flexibility and narcissism, which has recently attracted attention in relation to human psychology. To this end, data from 329 child teachers working in kindergartens and daycare centers were analyzed using the Coping Flexibility Questionnaire (COFLEX), Murray's Narcissism Scale, Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS). A higher level of coping flexibility and teacher efficacy in early child teachers showed direct and indirect links to the teacher-child relationship. Covert narcissism also demonstrated direct and indirect negative associations with teacher efficacy and the teacher-child relationship. Despite teacher efficacy being a prominent variable in many studies, its connection with the teacher-child relationship was comparatively weaker than that of coping flexibility and narcissism. These results suggest that we should pay more attention to the psychological factors of teachers in addition to teacher-related variables. It suggests that growth writing, which involves expressing personal thoughts and experiences to foster self-awareness. And the need to provide a specific repertoire, examples, and manuals for stress situations of early childhood education field to enhance teacher's coping flexibility.