Date of Award
5-1-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Education
First Advisor
Burhanettin Keskin
Second Advisor
Kenya Wolff
Third Advisor
Thomas Brady
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Early childhood educators shape future generations by guiding the development of young children. The well-being of early childhood educators is a concern due to unique stressors within the early childhood education context, including heavy workloads, high demands, and too few resources. Previous studies on the topic of teacher wellness have shown that teachers’ mental wellness impacts teacher burnout, teacher retention, and student outcomes, making the need for better understanding of the factors influencing teacher wellness a priority for future research. This quantitative study aimed to explore life balance as a protective factor of teacher wellness, inquiring about the extent of the relationship between teacher wellness and life balance, which domains of life balance may be the strongest predictors of teacher wellness, and whether demographic factors moderate the relationship. Early childhood educators working in Mississippi classrooms serving children from birth to age five were surveyed about their teaching experience and life balance. What was planned as a canonical correlation analysis was redirected to a descriptive analysis due to issues with data collection. Associations were observed between teacher wellness and aspects of life balance related to psychological and interpersonal factors. This study concludes with implications for educator practice, teacher preparation, policy, and research pertaining to protective factors of teacher wellness among early childhood educators, as well as lessons learned about the use of online surveys in research.
Recommended Citation
Amidon, Kathryn, "Life Balance and Teacher Wellness: Exploring Protective Factors Among Early Childhood Educators" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 8796.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/8796