Preschool teachers' work engagement is a pivotal factor influencing children's developmental outcomes, classroom climate, and overall educational quality. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study investigates how perceived organizational support (POS) affects work engagement (WE) through the mediating mechanism of psychological empowerment (PE). Using validated scales adapted for Chinese preschool teachers—including Preschool Teachers' Perceived Organizational Support Scale, Preschool Teachers' Psychological Empowerment Scale, and Preschool Teachers' Work Engagement Scale. The research framework was tested using survey data collected from 353 Preschool teachers in 17 kindergartens in Shaanxi Province, China. The empirical results reveal statistically significant positive relationships (p<0.01) among the three core constructs - POS, PE, and WE - as well as between each of their subdimensions, as measured by Pearson correlation analysis. To systematically examine the mechanisms underlying teacher engagement, this study utilizes structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS software to explore the connections among POS, PE, and WE. The AMOS-based SEM analysis confirmed that POS directly enhances WE while also exerting an indirect effect through the mediating pathway of PE. The model demonstrated good fit indices, validating the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, organizational support fosters teachers' sense of meaning, autonomy, self-efficacy, and impact - the core dimensions of PE - which in turn strengthens their WE. These findings underscore that when teachers perceive organizational support—through fair policies, resource provision, and leadership recognition—they experience greater empowerment in their roles, subsequently enhancing their motivation and commitment. The study provides empirical evidence that kindergarten administrators should implement dual-focused interventions: (1) strengthen organizational support systems, and (2) cultivate empowerment via participatory decision-making and professional development. Such strategies can sustain teacher engagement, ultimately elevating early childhood education quality and child development outcomes.
Li et al. (Tue,) studied this question.