Early Childhood Teachers' Use of Emotional Labour and Their Retention Intention

Like other global contexts, the Australian early childhood workforce faces significant attrition, with one in four educators expressing turnover intention within four years. While extant studies explore factors contributing to educator turnover, such as burnout and educators’ use of emotional labour, little is known about the connection between educators' retention intention and their use of emotional labour, particularly their experience of emotional dissonance – one aspect of emotional labour.

This study explores early childhood teachers’ (ECT) use of emotional labour and the corresponding emotional dissonance within structural quality conditions and organisational factors. Drawing on Job Demands-Resource (JD-R) and Conservation of Resources (COR) theories, data from semi-structured interviews with seven ECTs were thematically coded and inductively analysed.

Key findings of this study include supportive leadership and aligned work meaning and recognition that leads to ECTs’ retention intentions. Conversely, a lack or mismatch of job resources – unsupportive leadership, infrequent work recognition, inadequate physical work environment and resources, and lack of job clarity – elicited ECTs’ emotional labour, which led to feelings of emotional dissonance and contributed to ECTs’ turnover intentions.

Key implications from the study include: 1) leadership resource management and educators support training, 2) establishment of the ECEC feedback-motivation mechanism, 3) clear and enabling work culture, 4) role of professional learning on professional identity, and 5) prioritising educators’ health and wellbeing.