Emotional Labor Among Early Childhood Teachers: Frequency, Antecedents, and Consequences

This study examined variables influencing, and influenced by, emotional labor, as well as its frequency among early childhood teachers. Data were obtained through a multidimensional self-report questionnaire survey with 1,264 early childhood teachers from five provinces in mainland China. Multiple one-sample t-tests revealed that surface acting was significantly less frequently exhibited than deep acting and natural acting. Structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed that effort, teaching experience had a positive effect on surface acting, and family interference had a negative effect on natural acting. The SEM analysis also confirmed that surface acting had a positive effect on emotional exhaustion and natural acting had a negative effect on low accomplishment and depersonalization. While these results are generally in accord with previous studies, this study portrays a fuller image of emotional labor in early childhood teaching, which supports the current reconceptualization of the early childhood teaching profession. The study has implications for both practice and future research.