Teacher–Child Relationships and Perceived Stress Among Head Start Teachers: Examining the Moderating Roles of Emotion Regulation and Workplace Support

Abstract Background High levels of occupational stress among early care and education teachers have significant implications for their well-being and their capacity to effectively support children’s development. Understanding the factors associated with teacher stress is critical for reducing teacher stress and promoting teacher well-being. Objective This study aims to investigate the association between the quality of teacher–child relationships and teacher-perceived stress, with a particular focus on how emotion regulation strategies and workplace support moderate this relationship. Methods We analyzed survey data collected from 132 Head Start teachers who participated in a professional development training program. Using regression analysis, we first examined the associations between teacher–child relationships, emotion regulation, workplace support, and teachers’ perceived stress. Interaction terms were then included in the model to assess the hypothesized moderating roles of emotion regulation and workplace support on the association between teacher–child relationships and teacher-perceived stress. Results Conflictual teacher–child relationships were significantly associated with higher levels of teacher-perceived stress. Additionally, the use of emotion regulation strategies and the availability of workplace support were found to mitigate the association between conflictual relationships and teacher stress. Conclusions The results highlight the importance of strengthening teachers’ competence in addressing conflictual relationships with children and effectively using emotion regulation strategies in daily work as a way of addressing their stress. Enhancing workplace support systems would help reduce Head Start educators’ stress levels, thereby creating a more sustainable and nurturing environment that benefits both teachers and children.