Well-being of preschool teachers and their work engagement: cross-cultural differences between Russian and Serbian samples

Abstract

Background: Teachers’ professional characteristics significantly influence children’s emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development. Work engagement, as a core aspect of professional well-being, serves as a critical indicator of educational environmental quality, which in turn shapes developmental outcomes for children. Identifying predictors of work engagement is essential, with psychological well-being emerging as a potential key factor. Elements of the PERMA model of well-being were considered factors of preschool teachers’ work engagement. Additionally, cultural contexts may further modulate preschool teachers’ well-being. This study examines the psychological well-being profiles of preschool teachers in Serbia and Russia and explores how well-being characteristics relate to professional engagement. Methods: The total sample incorporates 654 preschool teachers aged from 18 to 70 years (M = 44.8, SD = 9.87), 98% female. The Russian sample comprises 388 individuals, the Serbian one – 266. Data collecting was performed using online survey method. Participants answered the PERMA-profiler questionnaire and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Results: The findings emphasized cross-cultural differences in indicators of psychological well-being of teachers. Russian preschool teachers demonstrated a higher level of accomplishment and negative emotions, while their Serbian colleagues showed a higher level of positive emotions, meaning, health and work engagement. Predictors of work engagement varied culturally: for Russian preschool teachers, engagement was driven by positive emotions, meaning, and accomplishment; for Serbian teachers, it was linked to accomplishment, happiness, and low negative emotions. Conclusions: These findings underscore the interplay between cultural context and well-being in shaping preschool teachers’ professional engagement.