About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 8. Education, Schooling

Abstract

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Stress is problematic for U.S.-based early childhood care and education (ECCE) teachers (Agyapong et al., 2022). Often caretakers at school and home, stressors may accumulate with implications for mental and physical well-being, including handling job demands (Papastylianou, 2022). Yet, a gap in the literature exists when considering the cultural context of Hispanic ECCE teachers. Positioned as critically important (Crosby et al., 2023) in the education and care of increasing numbers of Hispanic children in the U.S. (Vespa, 2018), they may be uniquely subjected to cultural expectations that compound stress. For example, while traditionalistic views of the Hispanic family dictate a strong, loyal bond among relatives (familismo), there are also gender-specific roles (i.e., marianismo; Sanchez et al., 2017) which contradict the “working woman” American ideal (Ayón et al., 2010); at-home expectations not changing in accordance (Noe-Bustamante, 2024). The present study sought to examine Hispanic ECCE teacher stress in light of cultural and Patriarchal expectations, asking how did teachers 1) perceive school and home responsibilities, 2) find alignment between their and others’ expectations of responsibilities, and 3) find support to cope?

Method: Thirteen ECCE teachers from one independent school district along the U.S.-Mexico border participated, self-identifying as Hispanic and female (100%). Both quantitative (i.e., survey) and qualitative (i.e., individual, focus group interviews) methodologies were implemented, recording lived experiences. Analyses were completed in three steps:
• survey data were descriptively analyzed,
• interview transcripts were cleaned and deductively coded (Bogdan & Biklen, 2009), and
• a two-member team highlighted emerging themes.

Results:
1. Teachers expressed difficulties balancing caretaking responsibilities.
All participants spoke to at-school and at-home responsibilities, expressing difficulty keeping demands separate. Betty shared she was “not functioning the same at home as [she] used to,” and “focus for [students]” suffered.
2. Teachers expressed pressure to maintain household duties despite exhaustion.
Eight of 13 (61%) participants spoke to marianismo (Sanchez et al., 2017), reporting need to “be a mom” (Hope), “focus[ing] on…family” (Winona) although they “come home exhausted,” (Tara) “just want[ing] to sleep,” (Xena).
3. Teachers preferred familial support, solitary coping over professional intervention.
All participants described implications of stress on mental and/or physical well-being, 10 indicating burnout, anxiety, and depression. However, only 3 teachers expressed interest in professional intervention. Selena, for example, relied on “faith,” or support from family/friends. Teachers summarily dismissed feelings, masking stress symptoms to maintain tranquility at home/work. Kim reported work stress as, “an unwritten rule...just a given.”

Conclusion: The present study sought to understand the lived experiences of Hispanic ECCE teachers. Findings demonstrated participating teachers dealt with compounding school and home stress, unique to their cultural context. Findings may provide opportunity to develop resources and policy measures protecting Hispanic ECCE teacher well-being, given the nature of their work with Hispanic families and children (Crosby et al., 2023), an increasing U.S. population (Vespa, 2018), as critical. The feasibility of intervention services specifically designed for Hispanic ECCE teachers, focusing on the population’s cultural and linguistic assets rather than a more-traditional, one-size-fits-all approach to stress reduction and well-being, are to be further explored.

Author information

Author	Role
Gabriela Naime, University of Texas At El Paso	Presenting author
Cynthia. A Wiltshire, The University of Texas at El Paso	Non-presenting author

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