Job Satisfaction, Stress and Teacher-child Relationship among Private Preschool Teachers in Johor Bahru

The teaching profession has now evolved to need high levels of adaptability in order to keep up with the fast paced change in agendas of the education system globally. Recent continuous changes and new implementations in education has been deeply affected the job of teachers. The Ministry of Education of Malaysia (MOE) through the National Dialogue program has outlined Quality of Teachers as one of three factors that are basis to the transformation of the Malaysian education system while reiterating that the success of education system relies heavily on the dedications and commitment of teachers. The main purpose of this study was to determine the levels of job satisfaction, stress and teacher-child relationship among private preschool teachers in Johor Bahru. The results of this study is hoped to provide an understanding to teachers of the importance of fostering their well-being to avoid effects of stress as well as of the importance of their relationship with children to their overall job satisfaction. A total of 219 respondents participated in this cross sectional correlation study. Results show a moderate level of job satisfaction (M=2. 81, SD₀. 325), moderate stress level (M = 16. 67, SD = 4. 846) and a moderate teacher-child relationship (M = 3. 43, SD = 0. 287) among private preschool teachers in Johor Bahru. Job satisfaction was found to have significant negative correlation with stress (r = 0. 433, p < 0. 01) and a significant positive correlation with teacher-child relationship (r = 0. 185, p < 0. 01). Findings of this study could fill a knowledge gap by providing an overview of job satisfaction, stress and teacher-child relationship among private preschool teachers. Findings of this study also show the importance of further research in job satisfaction of teachers.