Preschool teachers' well-being. Impact of relationships between happiness, emotional intelligence, affect, burnout, and engagement for their initial and permanent training

Abstract

From a Positive Psychology model applied to Education, the objective is to analyze emotional and motivational competencies of 82 preschool teachers, using the TMMS-24, PANAS, UWES, SHS and MBI and to establish recommendations for teacher training and student’s well-being. High levels of happiness, commitment, emotional intelligence and positive affect were found. Results ratify relationships between emotional intelligence, positive affect, engagement and personal accomplishment observed by studies in that population. Strong correlations (p> .01) were found between clarity, repair and positive affect, repair and vigor, and between vigor, dedication, absorption, and personal accomplishment. The 40.6% of the variance in teacher well-being was explained by emotional intelligence and affective competencies, with positive affect and repair competence the most important to predict happiness level. These results allow us to identify the competencies that should be included in pre-service university plans and in permanent training centers.