This study examined the relationships between kindergartens teachers' emotional labour strategies and their relations to instructional leadership, trust in colleagues, teaching experiences, and teaching satisfaction. With a sample of 491 kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong, this study found that surface acting negatively predicted while deep acting and expression of naturally felt emotion positively predicted teachers' teaching satisfaction; instructional leadership and trust in colleagues were positively related to deep acting and expression of naturally felt emotion, respectively. Meanwhile, teaching experience was found to be positively related to their adoption of expression of naturally felt emotion and teaching satisfaction. These findings shed light on the nature of kindergarten teachers' work, and provide some implications for teacher development in kindergartens. Copyright © 2023 Springer.

This study examines the effects of kindergarten teachers' self-efficacy on their perceived teacher-child relationships, and explores the associations between self-efficacy and two types of positive affective states (i.e., flow experience and psychological well-being) as the antecedents of efficacy beliefs. A sample of 796 kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong participated in this study. The results showed that teachers' flow experience and psychological well-being were significantly associated with their perceived positive teacher-child relationships, and teacher self-efficacy significantly mediated the effects of teachers' positive affective states on their perceived teacher-child relationships. The results highlight the significance of integrating social cognitive theory and positive psychology into the understanding of the relationships between teachers' positive affective states, self-efficacy, and teacher-child relationships in early childhood education settings. The implications for theory and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2022 Elsevier.

This study examined the relationships between kindergartens teachers’ emotional labour strategies and their relations to instructional leadership, trust in colleagues, teaching experiences, and teaching satisfaction. With a sample of 491 kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong, this study found that surface acting negatively predicted while deep acting and expression of naturally felt emotion positively predicted teachers’ teaching satisfaction; instructional leadership and trust in colleagues were positively related to deep acting and expression of naturally felt emotion, respectively. Meanwhile, teaching experience was found to be positively related to their adoption of expression of naturally felt emotion and teaching satisfaction. These findings shed light on the nature of kindergarten teachers’ work, and provide some implications for teacher development in kindergartens. Copyright © 2022 De La Salle University.

This study examined the relationships between faculty trust, professional learning communities and teacher professional learning among a sample of 2120 kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong. Faculty trust was examined through trust in colleagues, trust in the principal and trust in parents to explore the effects of organizational factors in details. The results showed that professional learning communities significantly mediated the positive effects of faculty trust on teacher professional learning. However, while trust in colleagues exerted a positive effect on teacher professional learning, the effects of trust in parents and trust in the principals were found to be negative and having no significant effect respectively. Kindergartens are recommended to promote teacher learning through enhancing faculty trust and professional learning communities. Copyright © 2019 All Academic, Inc.

This study examined the relationships between principals’ leadership practices (LP), professional learning community (PLC), teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy (TE) and whole-child development (WCD) in the context of kindergarten education. A total of 2120 Hong Kong kindergarten teachers participated in the study. Results showed that LP had positive effects on five components of PLC; LP facilitated teachers’ perceived WCD directly and indirectly through the mediation of three PLC components, namely shared sense of purpose, collaborative activity and a collective focus on child learning. Moreover, three PLC components (i.e., a collective focus on child learning, deprivatized practice and reflective dialogue) had positive effects on teachers’ perceived WCD via self-efficacy. The implications for enhancing PLCs in kindergartens are discussed. Copyright © 2019 All Academic, Inc.

This study examined the relationships between professional learning communities (PLCs), principal leadership practices and teacher commitment to kindergartens among 2,120 educators from 153 Hong Kong kindergartens. The relationships were analyzed at both school and teacher levels using multilevel structural equation modeling. The result showed that at both levels, leadership practices promoted PLCs and exerted an indirect effect on teacher commitment through collaborative activities. Moreover, an indirect effect through reflective dialogue and a direct effect of leadership practices on teacher commitment were found at the teacher level. In contrast, the mediating effects of collective focus on student learning were insignificant at both levels. ECE principals are encouraged to introduce PLCs to promote teacher learning and commitment in the time of reforms. Copyright © 2020 All Academic, Inc.

Teachers’ attitudes towards curriculum change are crucial in determining the success of implementation. This study examined the relationships between kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of instructional leadership, efficacy, trust in colleagues and behavioral intentions to implement play-based learning in Hong Kong. Data were collected from 542 Hong Kong kindergarten teachers who participated in a survey. The results showed that instructional leadership was positively association with teachers’ behavioral intentions to implement play-based learning directly and indirectly through teacher efficacy and trust in colleagues. The findings affirm that principals and curriculum leaders played a key role in cultivating a supportive leadership which helped form teachers’ positive attitudes towards curriculum reform. Moreover, enhancing trust in colleagues could develop teachers’ efficacy beliefs for practicing play-based learning. Copyright © 2020 All Academic, Inc.

In response to the needs for kindergarten principals to foster teachers' capacities and commitment, this study examined the relationships between professional learning communities, principal leadership practices, and teacher commitment to kindergartens among 2106 teachers from 153 Hong Kong kindergartens, analyzing by using multilevel structural equation modeling. The result showed that principal leadership practices facilitated the development of professional learning communities at school and teacher levels, and exerted a direct effect on teacher commitment at the teacher level. However, the mediating effects of different professional-learning-community components were found distinctive. Implications for leading kindergartens in the reform time are discussed. Copyright © 2021 The Author(s).

This study examined kindergarten teachers’ behavioural intentions to implement play-based learning and its relationship to two types of facilitating factors: organisational (i.e., instructional leadership and trust in colleagues) and individual (i.e., teacher self-efficacy). Structural equation modelling examining the direct and mediating effects was conducted on data collected from 542 Hong Kong kindergarten teachers. The results showed that principal instructional leadership was positively associated with teachers’ intentions to implement play-based learning directly and indirectly through trust in colleagues and teacher self-efficacy. Teachers with higher efficacious beliefs showed more active intentions to implement play-based learning. These findings highlight the importance of creating conducive organisational conditions and enhancing teacher self-efficacy for the implementation of play-based learning in kindergartens. Copyright © 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

This study examined the relationships between leadership practices, professional learning communities, teachers’ efficacy beliefs and perceptions of whole-child development in the context of kindergarten education. A sample of 2120 teachers from 153 Hong Kong kindergartens participated in a questionnaire survey. The results showed that principals’ leadership practices had significant effects on all five professional learning community components. Leadership practices were also positively related to teachers’ perceptions of whole-child development directly and indirectly through the mediation of three professional learning community components, namely a shared sense of purpose, collaborative activities and a collective focus on children’s learning. Moreover, three professional learning community components (i.e. a collective focus on children’s learning, deprivatized practice and reflective dialogue) were positively associated with teachers’ perceptions of whole-child development via their efficacy beliefs. The findings support the mediating role of professional learning communities in developing kindergarten teachers’ collaboration for improving their efficacy beliefs and perceptions of the whole-child development of children. Kindergarten principals play a key role in cultivating a supportive culture and facilitating teacher learning. Copyright © Sage Publications Ltd.