The Study of Work Engagement for Trainees Majoring in Early Childhood Care and Education Course: JD-R Model by Taking Differences in the School Year into Consideration

Abstract

The process of motivation in trainee child-care workers that result from practicums, as well as the coping hypothesis, were examined based on the job demands-resources model(JD-R model) of work engagement by taking differences in the school year into consideration. A questionnaire survey was conducted twice with students enrolled in a women’s junior college for training child-care workers. The motivational process was examined using multi-group path analysis. The results indicated that the sense of aptitude for child-care work, the efficacy of preschool teachers and supervisors’ teaching styles facilitated the self-development of trainees, and improved training achievements, mediated by engagement in training. Furthermore, the coping hypothesis was examined using hierarchical multiple regression analysis and simple slope testing, which partially supported the coping hypothesis in first-year students. It is suggested that the level of difficulty in teaching young children and interacting with young children might function to moderate the effects of the sense of aptitude for child-care work and preschool teacher efficacy for work engagement.