A Study on the Willingness of Kindergarten Teachers to Continue With Their Educational Work as Well as Relevant Influencing Factors

Abstract

Willingness to continue with their educational work represents the extent of attitude and willingness of preschool teachers to accept their occupation and be willing to continue with their work, which is not only concerned with the development of preschool teachers themselves, but also imposes a far-reaching influence on the stability of preschool teachers and the development of rural preschool education. This study explores the extent of rural kindergarten teachers’ willingness to continue with their educational work and their willingness to take teaching as a lifelong career, as well as influencing factors in respect thereof by means of literature analysis, questionnaire survey and interview. The research suggests that rural kindergarten teachers hold a relatively strong willingness to continue with their educational work, while their willingness to take teaching as a lifelong career is comparatively weak. Significant dimensional differences are observed in terms of age, teaching age, marital status and incorporation into the official staffing in respect of rural preschool teachers’ willingness to be devoted for a lifelong educational work, wherein it turns out that the older they are, the stronger their willingness to be engaged in a lifelong educational work is; the longer their teaching age is, the stronger their willingness to be engaged in a lifelong educational work is; married teachers are more willing to be engaged in a lifelong educational work than those who are merely in love or remain single; teachers unincorporated into the official staffing are more willing to be engaged in a lifelong educational work than those incorporated thereinto. The willingness of preschool teachers to continue to be engaged in the education sector is influenced by their own factors as well as external and objective factors. Finally, some suggestions are brought forward in this paper to address the above-mentioned problems: first of all, pre-service training is to be conducted to enhance professional self-identity; secondly, emphasis should be laid on humanistic care to increase job satisfaction; thirdly, welfare and treatment for teachers are to be elevated to reinforce professional attraction; and finally, more social support is to be given to gain respect and recognition towards preschool teachers.