Introduction. In Korea, 25.7% of all teachers at daycare centers resigned in 2018. Turnover of childcare teachers leads to decreased quality of childcare services, so this issue merits academic interest and government measures. The purpose of this study was to examine the conditional direct and indirect effects of gratitude in relation to job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention of childcare teachers so that countermeasures can be prepared to reduce turnover intention. Study participants and methods. The participants of the survey were childcare teachers working in daycare centers in Korea, and regarding age, the majority were in their 40s (49.1%), followed in order by those in their 30s or younger (38.6%) and those in their 50s or older (12.3%). In terms of the marital statuses of the participants, 78.6% were married, while in terms of education, college graduates accounted for the largest group at 61.8%. The data were analyzed using SPSS Win. 25 and the PROCESS macro 3.5. The following statistical techniques were applied: descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, mean comparison analysis, and moderated mediation effect analysis. The bootstrap method was used to analyze the moderated mediation effects, and bootstrapping was assigned as 5,000 samples and a 95% confidence interval, and the independent variables, mediating variables, and moderating variables were averaged. Results. First, Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between job stress, job satisfaction, gratitude, and turnover intention. Turnover intention and job satisfaction showed the highest negative correlation coefficient (r=-.528, p<.01). Second, job satisfaction mediated the link between job stress and turnover intention. Third, the conditional effect of gratitude on the link between job stress and turnover intention was significant when gratitude was low and average, and the effect of job stress decreased when gratitude increased. Fourth, the conditional effect of gratitude on the link between job satisfaction and turnover was significant when gratitude was low, average, and high, and the effect of job satisfaction decreased when gratitude increased. Fifth, the conditional indirect effect of job stress → job satisfaction → turnover intention was significant when gratitude was low (M-1SD), average (M), and high (M+1SD). Altogether, the results verified the moderated mediation effect of gratitude. Practical significance. This study examined the mediating effect of job satisfaction and the moderating effect of gratitude in the relationship between job stress and turnover intention. This study provides basic data that can be used for program development as well as the creation of policies that can reduce turnover intention in childcare settings.
The relationship between job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention in childcare teachers: a conditional direct and indirect effect of gratitude
