Burnout in Daycare Centers and Its Association with Aspects of Job Satisfaction

Das Handlungspotenzial frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte nimmt eine bedeutende Rolle für die Qualität frühkindlicher Betreuung ein. Daher ist es beachtenswert, dass gerade diese Berufsgruppe besonders von den Symptomen betroffen ist, die klassischerweise einem Burnout zugeordnet werden. Die Zufriedenheit mit verschiedenen Arbeitsaspekten ermöglicht Hinweise auf potenzielle Ursachen für Burnout-Symptome und damit verbundene Interventionsmöglichkeiten. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht daher die Zusammenhänge zwischen verschiedenen Aspekten von Arbeitszufriedenheit und den Burnout-Dimensionen emotionale Erschöpfung, Depersonalisation und verringerte Leistungsfähigkeit, erfasst mit dem Maslach Burnout Inventar (Maslach & Jackson, 1981; deutsche Übersetzung: Büssing & Perrar, 1992). Datengrundlage bildet eine querschnittliche Online-Befragung von 346 frühpädagogischen Fachkräften aus Berliner Kitas (88,2% Frauen; MAlter = 43.13, SDAlter = 11.07). Regressionsanalysen zeigten, dass eine geringere Zufriedenheit mit der Zusammenarbeit im Team sowie mit den Eltern mit höheren Werten auf allen drei Burnout-Dimensionen einhergingen. Daneben wiesen die Analysen auf entgegengesetzte Zusammenhänge zwischen emotionaler Erschöpfung und der Zufriedenheit mit den Aufstiegschancen, den Arbeitszeiten und dem Arbeitslohn hin. Die Ergebnisse werden in Bezug auf Implikationen und Interventionsmöglichkeiten für die Praxis diskutiert.The capabilities of early childhood professionals play an important role in the quality of early childhood care. It is therefore worth noting that this professional group is particularly affected by symptoms classically assigned to burnout. Satisfaction with various job aspects points to potential causes for burnout symptoms and options for intervention. The present study examines the relationships between several aspects of job satisfaction and the dimensions of burnout emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, as assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981; German translation by Büssing & Perrar, 1992). The data stem from a cross-sectional online questionnaire filled out by 346 early childhood professionals from Berlin daycare centers (88.2% females; MAge = 43.13, SDAge = 11.07). Regression analyses revealed that lower satisfaction with team collaboration and with parents was associated with higher values on all three burnout dimensions. Further, we found negative relationships between emotional exhaustion and satisfaction with career opportunities, working hours, and wages. The results are discussed in terms of the implications and intervention options for practice

Burnoutsymptome frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte und der Zusammenhang zu Arbeitsbedingungen und der Qualität der Betreuung

Preschool teachers have become central educators of young children and they are crucial for the quality of care in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions. Unfortunately, their profession is particularly affected by work-related burnout symptoms, which should be given special attention in light of the current expansion and professionalization efforts in the ECEC system. Burnout research suggests that burnout symptoms arise from chronic work stress, resulting from imbalances between personal and environmental job demands and resources and leading to negative consequences for institutions, workers, and service recipients. However, little is known about the origins and consequences of preschool teachers’ burnout symptoms in particular, especially in Germany. Hence, the present dissertational project explored preschool teachers’ burnout symptoms and the role of (satisfaction with) different job conditions as well as consequences for the quality of care. In more detail, study 1 investigated personal and environmental job conditions in relation to preschool teachers’ emotional exhaustion, a core symptom of burnout. Individual-level data obtained from 1,384 preschool teachers from 204 preschools across Germany as well as respective preschool-level data were subjected to multilevel analysis. Findings revealed that preschool differences explained a small amount of variance in preschool teachers’ emotional exhaustion and particularly highlighted the role of social experiences at the workplace, such as the perceived team climate and relation to parents. Study 2 explored associations between different aspects of job satisfaction – understood as the subjective-emotional fit between one's own expectations and the perceived work reality – and all three burnout dimensions, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment (N = 346). The results emphasized the role of satisfaction with team collaboration and cooperation with parents across all burnout dimensions. Additionally, emotional exhaustion was reversely linked to satisfaction with opportunities for promotions, working hours, and wages. Concerning the consequences of burnout symptoms, study 3 developed and tested a novel experimental design using an autobiographical memory task to investigate the effects of induced burnout symptoms on cognitive and affective empathy, an important prerequisite for high-quality caregiving. With a sample of 355 participants recruited via Amazon.com’s Mturk, findings indicated that the experimental group indeed showed higher burnout symptoms and decreased cognitive empathy compared to the control groups. Finally, in a sample of 1,389 preschool teachers nested in 204 preschools in Germany, study 4 addressed the relation of preschool teachers’ levels of emotional exhaustion and the frequency of language and early literacy related educational activities embedded into daily routines, considered as an important aspect and domain of high process quality. Multilevel analyses demonstrated that emotional exhaustion was negatively linked to the frequency of educational activities beyond important structural characteristics. Taken together, the findings obtained underline the significance of the social environment for preschool teachers’ burnout symptoms. Further, they point toward negative consequences of burnout symptoms for preschool teachers’ empathy and professional practices. The present dissertation addresses an understudied topic of high societal relevance. It has the potential to inform theory development and future empirical work as well as to provide scientific evidence on where and why to intervene against burnout symptoms in preschool teachers

Burnout undermines empathising

This project investigates the influence of burnout symptoms on empathy

Utilizing Participatory Mapping and GIS to Examine the Activity Spaces of Homeless Youth

Although previous studies have informed our understanding of certain aspects of youth homelessness, few studies have critically examined the spatial and social environments utilized by youth as they navigate life on the streets. This study employed participatory mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine the activity spaces of homeless youth as they relate to sense of community and psychological well-being. Participants were 28 youth experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon, USA. Results suggest that youth engage most frequently in service-related activities, and their activity participation is significantly associated with sense of community and psychological well-being. The utility of innovative participatory methods for better understanding the diverse experiences of homeless youth is discussed alongside examination of their practical implications

Implementation of ICT-Facilitated Parent- and Family-Focused Interventions in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts

International audienceSprachliche und kulturelle Unterschiede zwischen Elternhaus und Schule können mit Bildungsnachteilen für Kinder zu- sammenhängen, Spannungen in der Zusammenarbeit von Eltern und Bildungseinrichtungen erzeugen, und die Entwicklung von kultureller Identität und starken familiären Beziehungen beeinträchtigen. Eltern- und familienzentrierte Interventionen für Familien mit kleinen Kindern können eine wichtige Rolle dabei spielen, einen positiven Umgang mit kultureller Vielfalt zu unterstützen. In diesem Artikel werden vier For- schungsstudien zusammengebracht, die sich der Entwicklung und der Erprobung von IKT-gestützten Interventionen für Eltern und Fachkräften in kulturell und sprachlich vielfältigen Umfeldern in Europa widmen. Der Fokus der Interventionen in allen Kontexten war darauf gerichtet, wie Familien die in ihrem Leben vorhandenen kulturellen und sprachlichen Ressourcen einsetzen und nützen können, um die kindliche Entwick- lung und kindliche Lernprozesse, sowie den Übergang in die Schule zu fördern. Eine Hauptkomponente der Interventionen war der Einsatz von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie, mit dem Ziel, einigen der Herausforderungen besser zu begegnen, die bei elternunterstützen- der Arbeit auftreten. In diesem Artikel präsentieren und diskutieren wir die Entwicklung und Implementierung, sowie Ergebnisse von IKT-ge- stützten Interventionen, die im Zuge der ISOTIS Studie (www.isotis.org) in vier europäischen Ländern (England, Deutschland, Italien und Tsche- chien) durchgeführt wurden.A linguistic and cultural discontinuity between home and school can create tensions, affect family engagement with schools and teachers, and interfere with children's learning. Parent- and family-focused interventions for families with young children can play an important role in positively addressing diversity. This study brings together the work done to develop and test ICT-facilitated interventions for parents and professionals working with families from culturally and linguistically diverse contexts in four European countries: the Czech Republic, UK, Germany, and Italy. Across all contexts, the focus of the interventions lay on families managing and making the best use of the cultural and language resources present in their lives in supporting child development, learning, and transition to school. This paper provides a narrative account of participants' engagement with resources and digital tools, and their reflections on their experiences during implementation and their learning