The Evolution of Early Childhood Teacher Wellbeing Research (2020-2024): A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Trends
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59175/pijed.v4i2.749Keywords:
Bibliometric Analysis, Early Childhood Teacher Wellbeing, Job Demands-Resources Model, Psychological Wellbeing, Teacher BurnoutAbstract
This study conducts a bibliometric analysis to examine global research developments on teacher wellbeing in early childhood education (ECE) from 2020 to 2025. The growing recognition that teachers’ psychological, emotional, and professional wellbeing affects children’s learning outcomes underscores the need to systematically map this field. Drawing on data from Scopus, SciVal, and VOSviewer, a total of 151 documents were analyzed to evaluate research productivity, citation impact, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolution. The findings indicate a significant growth in publication output, accompanied by strong international collaboration and a Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) of 1.23, reflecting above-average global influence. Science mapping identified five major thematic clusters: (1) psychological dimensions of wellbeing, including burnout and mental health; (2) job demands–resources and institutional policy; (3) resilience and intervention studies in the post–COVID-19 context; (4) positive psychology and self-efficacy enhancement; and (5) links between teacher wellbeing and child development outcomes. Overall, the results highlight a paradigm shift from stress- and burnout-centered research toward strength-based, growth-oriented wellbeing models. Despite the dominance of high-income countries such as the United States, China, and Hong Kong, substantial research gaps persist in developing contexts. These findings underscore the need for context-sensitive, self-care–based, and digital wellbeing interventions to support sustainable ECE teacher wellbeing globally.
References
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2024). Job demands–resources theory: Frequently asked questions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 29(3), 188–200. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000376
Byun, S., & Jeon, L. (2023). Early Childhood Teachers’ Work Environment, Perceived Personal Stress, and Professional Commitment in South Korea. Child and Youth Care Forum, 52(5), 1019–1039. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-022-09722-9
Chen, C., & Fan, J. (2025). Predicting Early Childhood Teachers’ Job Satisfaction by Pedagogical Leadership: A Moderated Mediation Model of Workload Stress and Professional Collaboration. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01960-5
Corthorn, C., Pedrero, V., Torres, N., Reynaldos-Grandón, K., & Paredes, P. (2024). Mindfulness, teacher mental health, and well-being in early education: a correlational study. BMC Psychology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01930-3
Cucari, N., Tutore, I., Montera, R., & Profita, S. (2023). A bibliometric performance analysis of publication productivity in the corporate social responsibility field: Outcomes of SciVal analytics. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 30(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2346
Deschamps, A., Scrutton, R., & Ayotte-Beaudet, J.-P. (2022). School-based outdoor education and teacher subjective well-being: An exploratory study. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.961054
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133(April), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Grant, A. A., Jeon, L., & Buettner, C. K. (2019). Relating early childhood teachers’ working conditions and well-being to their turnover intentions. Educational Psychology, 39(3), 294–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1543856
Gu, Y., Wang, R., & You, X. (2020). Recovery Experiences Moderate the Impact of Work Stressors on Well-Being: A Two-Wave Study of Preschool Teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(2), 189–202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00994-w
Kunduracı, Y., Dağal, A. B., & Ramazan, O. (2025). The Effect of Perceptions of Professional Competence of Preschool Teachers on Their Professional Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Social Sciences, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14020066
Lee, A. S. Y., Fung, W. K., Chan, D. K. C., & Chung, K. K. H. (2024). The effectiveness of a positive psychological intervention for promoting preschool teachers’ well-being and professional competence: EASP intervention program. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 16(4), 1626–1658. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12544
Lee, A. S. Y., Fung, W. K., & Chung, K. K. H. (2024). Reciprocal Relationships Between Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Well-Being and Self-efficacy: A Cross-Lagged Panel Design. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(3), 603–614. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00756-8
Lu, L., & Jian, L. (2024). Emotional sociology applied: predictive influence of affective neuroscience personality traits on Chinese preschool teachers’ performance and wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1372694
Ma, Y., You, Y., Yang, H., Wang, F., Cheng, X., & Li, J. (2022). Psychometric characteristics of the mindfulness in teaching scale in Chinese preschool teachers. Current Psychology, 41(8), 5011–5019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01602-0
Martínez-Saura, H. F., Sánchez-López, M. C., & Pérez-González, J.-C. (2023). Trait emotional intelligence as buffer of mood of in-service and preservice teachers of preschool and elementary education during the impact of COVID-19. . Anales de Psicologia, 39(3), 487–495. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.555021
Meidelina, O., Saleh, A. Y., Cathlin, C. A., & Winesa, S. A. (2023). Transformational leadership and teacher well-being: A systematic review. Journal of Education and Learning, 17(3), 417–424. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v17i3.20858
Muhonen, H., Sulkanen, M., Alasuutari, M., & Lerkkanen, M.-K. (2025). Empowered, Strained, or Stable: Teachers’ Experiences of Occupational Well-Being During the Two-Year Pre-Primary Education Trial in Finland. Early Education and Development, 36(2), 477–497. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2024.2404823
Narea, M., Treviño, E., Caqueo-Urízar, A., Miranda, C., & Gutiérrez-Rioseco, J. (2022). Understanding the Relationship between Preschool Teachers’ Well-Being, Interaction Quality and Students’ Well-Being. Child Indicators Research, 15(2), 533–551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-021-09876-3
OECD. (2021). Teaching in focus: Building teachers’ well-being from primary to upper secondary education (Vol. 14).
Passas, I. (2024). Bibliometric Analysis: The Main Steps. Encyclopedia, 4(2), 1014–1025. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4020065
Peele, M., & Wolf, S. (2020). Predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among teachers in Ghana: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Social Science and Medicine, 253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112957
Peele, M., & Wolf, S. (2021). Depressive and anxiety symptoms in early childhood education teachers: Relations to professional well-being and absenteeism. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 55, 275–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.11.008
Portelada, A., Candeias, A., & João, A. L. (2024). Teacher Well-Being Under Threat: The Consequences of Workplace Bullying from Preschool to Higher Education. Education Sciences, 14(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111175
Raymond, S., & Gabriel, F. (2023). An ecological framework for early years teacher self-efficacy development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104252
Su, X., Yu, D., Yu, Y., & Lian, R. (2025). Well-being and emotional labor for preschool teachers: The mediation of career commitment and the moderation of social support. PLOS ONE, 20(4 April). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318027
Sun, N., & Saleh, S. (2024). The challenges and strategies for promoting equity in STEAM education activities by kindergarten in China. International Journal of Chinese Education, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2212585X241273986
Tebben, E. (2021). Identifying primary and secondary stressors, buffers, and supports that impact ECE teacher wellbeing: implications for teacher education. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 42(2), 143–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2021.1918294
Tian, W., Liu, X., Zhao, X., & Tan, F. (2020). Investigation and Analysis of the Mental health Status of Preschool Teachers in Chongqing, China by Computer Software SPSS. 2020 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, ICAIE 2020, 176–180. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICAIE50891.2020.00048
United, N. (2022). The 17 goals sustainable development. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal3
Walter, H. L., Tuckwiller, B. D., Howard, L. C., Spencer, K. H., & Frey, J. R. (2023). A mixed-methods approach to understanding early childhood special educators’ well-being. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 65, 374–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.08.002
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). https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121132
Xie, S., Wu, D., & Li, H. (2022). The Relationship between Chinese Teachers’ Emotional Labor, Teaching Efficacy, and Young Children’s Social-Emotional Development and Learning. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042205
Yan, L., Lin, Y., Li, W., & Hu, C. (2025). Exploring the interplay of mindfulness, self-efficacy, and burnout among Chinese preschool teachers: a network approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1483099
Yan, Z., Wang, Z., Meng, Q., Wang, Y., & Liu, Y. (2022). Sustainable Development Mechanism in Rural Kindergartens: The Relationships among Enabling Organizational Structure, Kindergarten Directors’ Leadership and Early Childhood Teachers’ Well-Being. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114414
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Zulaeni Esita, Fatimah Azis, Munirah Munirah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
