Israeli special education preschool teachers’ job satisfaction: an investigation of the predictive value of professional identity and social support

This study used mixed methods to explore how Israeli special education preschool teachers’ professional identity and social support predict their job satisfaction. Participants in the quantitative portion included 192 Jewish special education preschool teachers (Mage = 34.37, SD = 8.75) with an average of 10.66 (SD = 8.40) years teaching. A separate sample of 10 teachers (Mage = 37.77, SD = 5.86; Mexperience = 7.7 years, SD = 3.98) participated in semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results revealed that professional identity related to type of preschool framework and job satisfaction, but only experience and social support significantly predicted job satisfaction. Qualitative results supported the quantitative results, emphasizing themes of satisfaction, challenges, and coping mechanisms, particularly the importance of social support. Additional support for these teachers can promote job satisfaction, facilitate retention and teacher well-being and foster better outcomes for children with special needs.