Unusual Experience in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Young Children's Readjustment from Home to Preschool following School Closures in Different Risk Regions.

Children's readjustment to preschool following long-term school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic merits special attention. This study examined children's preschool readjustment using a survey of 1008 teachers in a high-risk region and 1399 teachers in a fluctuating-risk region of China. Results found are as follows. (1) children's preschool readjustment was at a medium level after the long-term school closures. However, children's preschool readjustment scores in the fluctuating-risk region were significantly lower than those in the high-risk region. (2) Children in both regions were divided into four profiles based on their preschool readjustment: low-level, middle-level, upper-middle-level, and high-level groups. (3) Preschool transition practices and teachers' turnover intention are common factors relating to preschool readjustment in both regions. Teachers' professional development support impacted children's preschool readjustment only in the high-risk region. The findings inform the design of targeted interventions to help children readjust to preschool across different risk regions.

Perceived Crisis Management and Post-Traumatic Growth among Chinese Preschool Teachers during COVID-19: Risk Perception as a Moderator.

This study explored post-traumatic growth among preschool teachers during COVID-19 and investigated associations among post-traumatic growth, perceived crisis management, and risk perception. The participants were 2921 Chinese preschool teachers (96.5% women). Teachers' reports of post-traumatic growth, perceived crisis management, and risk perception were analyzed by multivariate techniques. The results revealed that preschool teachers' post-traumatic growth was at an intermediate level, and there was no significant difference in post-traumatic growth by risk level area. Post-traumatic growth was significantly related to risk perception and perceived crisis management, and risk perception appeared to moderate the relationship between perceived crisis management and post-traumatic growth. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the roles of perceived crisis management and risk perception in preschool teachers' post-traumatic growth. Related suggestions for preschool teachers' mental health are discussed.

Implementation and Challenges of Online Education during the COVID-19 Outbreak: A National Survey of Children and Parents in China.

This study aims to explore the implementation and challenges of China's national online education strategy - "Suspending Classes Without Stopping Learning" (SCWSL) - during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of children and their parents. Altogether 28,334 children (aged 6-8 years) and their parents were randomly sampled from nine cities in five provinces of China, and a mixed-method design involving a questionnaire and interviews was used. The results indicated that: (1) most children had participated in online education characterized by wide-ranging content, teacher-led interaction, and rich learning platforms; (2) online education had an effect on children's physical and mental health; (3) parent pressure was at a medium to high level due to online education; and (4) parents perceived that offline education was more effective than online education, and this perception varied significantly between geographical regions, living areas, and school types. These findings reveal that the sudden implementation of nationwide online education created many challenges, and also provided practical implications for countries carrying out online education in the post-pandemic era.

Dual Stressors and Female Pre-school Teachers' Job Satisfaction During the COVID-19: The Mediation of Work-Family Conflict.

Online education has become a vital weapon to fight against the COVID-19 epidemic in the world. In the home-based online education environment, female pre-school teachers are expected to balance the dual roles of teacher and mother at the same time, which may trigger the work-family conflict. Although previous studies analyzed individual stressors, work-family conflict and its outcomes, there is little research on pre-school teachers' work and parenting experience during major public health emergencies. The current study examined the associations among work overload, parenting stress, work-family conflict, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19. Seven hundred eighteen female pre-school teachers with children who worked online at home participated in the study. Female pre-school teachers reported that the COVID-19 has increased work overload and parenting stress. Moreover, work overload was negatively associated with job satisfaction via its positive association with work-to-family conflict. Parenting stress was negatively associated with job satisfaction via both family-to-work conflict and work-to-family conflict. The study contributes to a better understanding of the association among female pre-school teachers' work overload, parenting stress, work-family conflict, and job satisfaction. Our findings highlighted potential avenues for interventions aimed at balancing female pre-school teachers' work and family and improving their job satisfaction during the COVID-19.

Preschool Teachers' Technology Acceptance During the COVID-19: An Adapted Technology Acceptance Model.

Online education has become a major reaction to the COVID-19 epidemic, which requires preschool teachers to quickly adapt to online education and accept educational technology. In this emergency background, research on the preschool teachers' technology acceptance provides clues to improve preschool teachers' intention to use educational technology. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is widely used to examine the process of individuals' technology acceptance in the previous literature. Therefore, this study seeks to examine preschool teachers' technology acceptance with the adapted TAM and their determinant factors. The proposed model was empirically validated by using survey data from 1,568 preschool teachers during the COVID-19. Results indicate that preschool teachers' behavioral intention was moderate to high level. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are direct significant predictors of preschool teachers' behavioral intention. Perceived usefulness is affected by perceived ease of use and job relevance. Computer self-efficacy and perceptions of external control are the positive factors toward perceived ease of use. Our findings present powerful evidence for the applicability of the adapted TAM in a sample of Chinese preschool teachers under emergency circumstances. These results highlighted some potential avenues for interventions aimed at improving preschool teachers' acceptance toward educational technology.