Linking Preschool Teachers’ Pay Equity and Turnover Intention in Chinese Public Kindergartens: The Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support and Job Satisfaction

The turnover rate, income levels, and salary distribution among kindergarten teachers in China have gained increasing attention as these issues may negatively affect teacher quality. They largely impede the sustainable development of preschool education. This study aimed to explore the level of perceptions of pay equity among preschool teachers and examine the relationships among pay equity, turnover intention, perceived organizational support (POS), and job satisfaction. A survey was conducted with 2029 preschool teachers from Chinese public kindergartens, and descriptive analysis and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the level of pay equity for preschool teachers was moderate, with a significant difference between teachers with Bianzhi and those without. The structural equation model revealed a significant negative relationship between teachers’ pay equity and their intent to leave. Perceived organizational support and job satisfaction independently mediated the relationship between pay equity and turnover intention, with a serial mediation effect observed. These findings highlight the importance of considering teachers’ pay equity, POS, and job satisfaction in order to retain high-quality teachers.