WORKLOAD AND BURNOUT AMONG MALAYSIAN PRESCHOOL EDUCATORS: THE NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

Abstract

Early childhood education is an important milestone in a child’s development journey, serving as a foundation to their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. This makes the role of early childhood educators extremely important, putting additional pressure on preschools to perform. Teaching, however, is a demanding profession, and many educators face severe emotional challenges due to job-related stress. This study investigates the relationship between workload, stress, and burnout among preschool teachers in Malaysia and examines the role of professional support. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 80 preschool teachers, selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire measured workload, teacher stress, burnout, and professional support. Data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 4. The results indicated that workload significantly correlates with professional support, teacher burnout, and stress. Professional support significantly affects teacher stress but not burnout. Teacher burnout is positively associated with teacher stress. The study highlights the necessity of implementing comprehensive professional support systems to reduce teacher burnout and enhance job performance. The findings provide practical implications for educational policymakers to develop strategies for reducing stress and improving teacher well-being.