Relationship Between the Director’s Emotional Leadership from the Perspective of Child-Care Teachers and Child-Care Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: Mediating Effects of Teaching Efficacy and Moderated Mediating Effect of Working Environment

Objectives: This study explored the moderated mediation effect of teaching efficacy through the work environments on the relationship between directors’ emotional leadership and child-care center teachers’ job satisfaction.Methods: A total 168 daycare center teachers completed the director’s emotional leadership, child-care teachers’ job satisfaction, teaching efficacy, working environment scales. Data analysis was performed using PROCESS macro 3.3 and SPSS 23.0 programs. First, to verify the moderated mediating effect Model 1 was used to examine the moderating effect of the working environment in the relationship between directors’ emotional leadership and job satisfaction of child-care teachers. Second, the analysis method proposed by Baron and Kenny was used to analyze the mediating effect of teaching efficacy. Third, Model 14 was used to analyze the moderated mediating effect of the working environment.Results: First, the interaction term between directors’ emotional leadership and work environment was not statistically significant, and the basic process of the moderated mediating effects was met. Second, the development of teaching effectiveness showed a significant mediating effect between directors’ emotional leadership and child-care center teachers’ job satisfaction. Third, the moderated mediating effect of teaching effectiveness through the child-care center teachers’ working environment was significant between the directors’ emotional leadership and child-care center teachers’ job satisfaction.Conclusion: To increase the job satisfaction of child-care center teachers, this study suggests the importance of developing high-quality programs and continuous practical education. Such programs will strengthen child-care center teachers’ job satisfaction competencies by improving the emotional leadership of the director, teaching effectiveness of child-care center teachers, and working environment.