Preschool Teachers’ Perception of Their Satisfaction with Working Conditions and the Status of the Teaching Profession

Abstract

Research shows that professionals in the educational system feel more satisfied when they are valued at work, when employers acknowledge their work and value their professional ideas. Since there is little research on preschool teachers’ satisfaction, this research aims to analyze the perception of their satisfaction with working conditions and the status of the teaching profession. The research involved 536 preschool teachers in Croatia. Using a survey questionnaire with open-ended questions and a qualitative analysis, the research aim was to explore preschool teachers’ perception of their satisfaction with working conditions and the status of their profession in society. The results show that preschool teachers are satisfied when there is a pleasant and stimulating working atmosphere, which includes good relationships and connections with colleagues, parents and children, but they are not satisfied with technical, material and organizational conditions. Their perception of satisfaction with the social status of the teaching profession mostly relates to their position in the early childhood and preschool education system. The participants highlight they are not perceived as competent and educated experts and their professional advancement is difficult or impossible. They also critically refer to the employment practice in some preschool institutions where insufficiently competent persons, i.e. persons with inadequate professional qualifications work as preschool teachers. The research results are an incentive for a deeper understanding of the possibilities to improve preschool teachers’ employment and professional development and thus improve the quality of their life and work.