Thriving Teachers, Thriving Schools: A Multilevel Examination of the Ecology of Well-Being and Interactional Style in Chinese Preschools

Research Findings: High-quality early childhood education depends heavily on teachers’ professional well-being and effective classroom interactions. However, research often overlooks how the influence of teachers’ professional identity and well-being interact with systemic school environment, particularly within non-Western settings. Utilizing multilevel latent profile analysis on a sample of 1,627 preschool teachers across 95 preschools in China, this study examined how individual and school-aggregated teachers’ professional identity relate to sub-types of teacher professional well-being and subsequent interactional styles. At the teacher level, three distinct professional well-being profiles emerged: low, moderate, and high professional well-being. Membership in higher functioning professional well-being profiles was significantly predicted by individual role value, professional behavior, and professional value, and was concurrently associated with more effective interactional styles. At the school level, four systemic professional well-being profiles were identified: struggling, joyful, satisfied, and thriving schools. Schools characterized by high collective role values and thriving environments significantly prompted optimal teacher-child interactions. Practice or Policy: These findings highlight the utility of the multilevel, person-centered approach for understanding the ecological dynamics of teacher professional well-being, informing targeted individual and organizational interventions in early childhood settings.