Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support

Inclusion of children needing special support presents challenges for preschool educators. Understanding factors that enhance their well-being can improve their ability to meet all children’s needs. This cross-sectional study investigated 90 preschool educators perceived job demands and resources r...

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Main Authors: Veronica Semelius Granevald, Monika Vinterek, Lotta Strömsten
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Early Childhood Education Association Finland 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Early Childhood Education Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.fi/jecer/article/view/137959
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author Veronica Semelius Granevald
Monika Vinterek
Lotta Strömsten
author_facet Veronica Semelius Granevald
Monika Vinterek
Lotta Strömsten
author_sort Veronica Semelius Granevald
collection DOAJ
description Inclusion of children needing special support presents challenges for preschool educators. Understanding factors that enhance their well-being can improve their ability to meet all children’s needs. This cross-sectional study investigated 90 preschool educators perceived job demands and resources related to working with children in need of special support, and work-related sense of coherence (comprehensibility, manageability, meaningfulness). Analyses of group differences between preschool teachers and child carers revealed no significant differences in the experience of job demands and resources but preschool teachers reported a higher degree of meaningfulness at work compared to child carers. Correlation analyses showed that job resources were all intercorrelated and either inversely correlated or uncorrelated with job demands. Job demands were also inversely correlated to sense of coherence. Linear regression results indicated that a higher work-related sense of coherence and self-perceived control predicted lower self-perceived job demands, even after controlling for social support, growth/development, child group size and insufficient reflection time. This study underscores the need to integrate a sense of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness at work to improve well-being and to cope with the emotional, cognitive, and organisational demands of working with children needing special support.
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spelling doaj-art-b305bcc4fa904ce3b27a44f8ecbf2bf42025-01-29T04:52:47ZengEarly Childhood Education Association FinlandJournal of Early Childhood Education Research2323-74142025-01-0113310.58955/jecer.137959Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special supportVeronica Semelius Granevald0Monika Vinterek1Lotta Strömsten2Dalarna UniversityDalarna UniversityUmeå University Inclusion of children needing special support presents challenges for preschool educators. Understanding factors that enhance their well-being can improve their ability to meet all children’s needs. This cross-sectional study investigated 90 preschool educators perceived job demands and resources related to working with children in need of special support, and work-related sense of coherence (comprehensibility, manageability, meaningfulness). Analyses of group differences between preschool teachers and child carers revealed no significant differences in the experience of job demands and resources but preschool teachers reported a higher degree of meaningfulness at work compared to child carers. Correlation analyses showed that job resources were all intercorrelated and either inversely correlated or uncorrelated with job demands. Job demands were also inversely correlated to sense of coherence. Linear regression results indicated that a higher work-related sense of coherence and self-perceived control predicted lower self-perceived job demands, even after controlling for social support, growth/development, child group size and insufficient reflection time. This study underscores the need to integrate a sense of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness at work to improve well-being and to cope with the emotional, cognitive, and organisational demands of working with children needing special support. https://journal.fi/jecer/article/view/137959work-related sense of coherencepreschool educatorschildren in need of special supportjob demandsjob resources
spellingShingle Veronica Semelius Granevald
Monika Vinterek
Lotta Strömsten
Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support
Journal of Early Childhood Education Research
work-related sense of coherence
preschool educators
children in need of special support
job demands
job resources
title Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support
title_full Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support
title_fullStr Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support
title_short Exploring the job demands and resources and work-related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support
title_sort exploring the job demands and resources and work related sense of coherence of preschool educators working with children in need of special support
topic work-related sense of coherence
preschool educators
children in need of special support
job demands
job resources
url https://journal.fi/jecer/article/view/137959
work_keys_str_mv AT veronicasemeliusgranevald exploringthejobdemandsandresourcesandworkrelatedsenseofcoherenceofpreschooleducatorsworkingwithchildreninneedofspecialsupport
AT monikavinterek exploringthejobdemandsandresourcesandworkrelatedsenseofcoherenceofpreschooleducatorsworkingwithchildreninneedofspecialsupport
AT lottastromsten exploringthejobdemandsandresourcesandworkrelatedsenseofcoherenceofpreschooleducatorsworkingwithchildreninneedofspecialsupport