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Article

A Network Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in Chinese Preschool Teachers

1
Faculty of Education, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
2
Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
3
Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121132
Submission received: 28 September 2024 / Revised: 6 November 2024 / Accepted: 22 November 2024 / Published: 25 November 2024

Abstract

Emotional intelligence significantly influences various aspects of teachers’ professional and personal lives, notably affecting preschoolers’ social skills and emotional development during formative years. This study utilizes a network analysis approach to explore the complex relationships among four components of emotional intelligence: emotional labor, emotional regulation, professional well-being, and professional identity. Participants included 2069 frontline Chinese teachers (34 males, 2035 females; M = 28.64, SD = 5.98; M years of teaching = 6.88, SD = 5.29) with no leadership roles, categorized into three stages of their careers based on years of teaching experience: novice (0–3 years; n = 612), advanced beginners (4–6 years; n = 537), and competent (7–40 years; n = 920). Findings revealed that joy of teaching, role value, and professional value were identified as the most critical elements within the emotional state network of early childhood education teachers. The strongest connections in teachers’ emotional networks were found between school connectedness and joy of teaching (r = 0.474), surface acting behavior and natural acting behavior (r = 0.419), and professional value and professional behavior (r = 0.372). Furthermore, teachers across different career stages exhibited similar characteristics and intrinsic connections among emotional state components. These findings deepen our understanding of the emotional state networks of ECE teachers, highlighting shared features and interconnected mechanisms, and suggest that enhancing teachers’ emotional intelligence through targeted professional development can improve both teacher well-being and preschoolers’ social–emotional outcomes. Policies that foster strong school connectedness and reduce emotional labor are key to promoting sustained joy in teaching, particularly for novice and advanced beginner teachers.
Keywords: emotional intelligence; network analysis; early childhood education emotional intelligence; network analysis; early childhood education

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MDPI and ACS Style

Xie, S.; Su, B.; Yang, S.; Li, J.; Li, H. A Network Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in Chinese Preschool Teachers. Behav. Sci. 2024, 14, 1132. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121132

AMA Style

Xie S, Su B, Yang S, Li J, Li H. A Network Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in Chinese Preschool Teachers. Behavioral Sciences. 2024; 14(12):1132. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121132

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xie, Sha, Beiyi Su, Siman Yang, Jing Li, and Hui Li. 2024. "A Network Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in Chinese Preschool Teachers" Behavioral Sciences 14, no. 12: 1132. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121132

APA Style

Xie, S., Su, B., Yang, S., Li, J., & Li, H. (2024). A Network Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in Chinese Preschool Teachers. Behavioral Sciences, 14(12), 1132. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121132

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